FCC orders carriers to stop delivering auto warranty robocalls

The FCC on Thursday said it has ordered major voice carriers to stop delivering robocalls seeking personal information from consumers by claiming their auto insurance or warranty has expired. File Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo

July 7 (UPI) -- The Federal Communications Commission on Thursday announced it has told carriers to stop delivering auto warranty robocalls, citing it as a top complaint from consumers. The FCC said it has authorized all U.S.-based voice service providers to stop carrying traffic from Roy Cox Jr., Aaron Michael Jones, their Sumco Panama companies and other international associates believed to be behind the more than 8 billion robocalls generated since 2018. Advertisement

"Billions of auto warranty robocalls from a single calling campaign. Billions!" FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said in a statement. "Auto warranty scams are one of the top complaints we get from consumers and it's time to hold those responsible for making these junk calls."

The FCC's Enforcement Bureau also sent cease-and-desist letters to Call Pipe, Fuble Telecom, Geisst Telecom, Global Lynks, Mobi Telecom, South Dakota Telecom, SipKonnect and Virtual Telecom to warn them to stop carrying the robocalls within 48 hours.

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"The Enforcement Bureau will use all the tools at its disposal to protect consumers and U.S. telecommunications networks from the scourge of illegal robocalls," Acting FCC Enforcement Bureau Chief Loyaan A. Egal said.

Recent trackbacks show that the Sumco Panama operation is still generating millions of calls on a daily basis, the FCC said.

The agency noted that the calls usually claim that a consumer's auto insurance or warranty is about to expire and "frequently use consumers' real information in order to appear legitimate."

Consumers should be aware that scammers are skilled at endeavoring to gain trust from their victims and that consumers should not provide any personal information to anyone who calls unexpectedly.