Friday, April 16, 2021
In one of the first actions under acting Chairwoman Rosenworcel, the Federal Communications Commission’s Enforcement Bureau issued a $225 million dollar fine its largest ever against a pair of robocallers showing that the agency, even with new leadership, has no intention of letting up in its battle against illegal robocallers. The unlawful calls, many of which were also spoofed, falsely claimed to be offering full health insurance coverage from several of America’s largest insurance companies; however, calls were instead transferred to other insurers offering short-term, limited-duration health plans. USTelecom’s Industry Traceback Consortium assisted the Enforcement Bureau with the investigation, with one of the robocallers telling the Consortium he intentionally called numbers on the Do-Not-Call list because he believed it was more profitable to target those consumers.
On April 13, 2021, the FCC Acting Chairwoman announced the agency’s latest efforts to protect consumers from unwanted and scam robocalls and spoofed calls. The latest efforts include three components we describe in further detail.
Recent News
Inovalon Seeks Timely and Favorable Decision on Junk Fax Petition
On March 9, 2021 Inovalon, Inc. submitted a letter urging the FCC to answer Inovalon’s Petition for Declaratory Ruling and affirm that “faxes with no direct commercial purpose, and offering no commercially available products or services to the recipients, are not ‘advertisements’ under the TCPA and JFPA.” The letter, an ex parte notice, updates the Commission on new activity in the junk fax class action against Inovalon
Eric B. Fromer Chiropractic, Inc. v. Inovalon Holdings, Inc., et al, No. 17-cv-03801-GJH. The case has been stayed for over two years pending a decision from the FCC on Inovalon’s petition. On February 4, 2021, the Plaintiff filed a motion to lift the stay, arguing that the Fourth Circuit Court’s recent decision in
TCPA FCC Petitions Tracker - March 2021 | Kelley Drye & Warren LLP jdsupra.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from jdsupra.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Watch for vaccination sign-up scams By CNN staff | March 1, 2021 at 3:28 PM CST - Updated March 1 at 3:35 PM
(CNN) – The COVID-19 vaccine rollout is expanding, but getting an appointment can be challenging.
Preying on people’s desperation, scammers are stepping in.
Watch out for texts or robocalls asking you to pay to get on a vaccine list.
Also, don’t click on links in texts or emails offering fake opportunities to get the shot.
“Older adults are being prioritized for vaccinations, and while they are not necessarily the group that is most likely to be scammed, that honor, if you could say honor, belongs to 18 to 25-year-olds, according to recent studies,” said Patrick Webre of the Federal Communication Commission’s Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau. “But older adults do tend to lose more money when they are scanned.”