PHILADELPHIA, PA – It began with a flood of robocalls and ended with warning letters to dozens of telecom companies as Attorney General Dave Sunday launched “Operation Robocall Roundup” — a multi-state crackdown aimed at cutting off illegal robocalls at the source.
On Thursday, AG Sunday joined 50 other Attorneys General in issuing warnings to 37 voice providers accused of allowing illegal robocalls to flood phone networks by failing to comply with federal rules. These companies either ignored Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requirements for robocall mitigation or failed to cooperate with government traceback efforts.
Officials say the flagged companies enabled scam calls by not registering in the FCC’s Robocall Mitigation Database or submitting required mitigation plans. Many of the robocalls routed through their networks were then passed downstream to smaller providers, ultimately reaching phones across Pennsylvania and the country.
In addition to the initial 37 providers, another 99 downstream telecom companies also received warning letters as part of the sweeping action. The FCC has already announced it will remove seven of the most noncompliant companies from its database entirely — effectively blacklisting them from U.S. phone networks.
The effort is part of a broader initiative launched in 2022 when Pennsylvania joined the Anti-Robocall Litigation Task Force, a nationwide coalition of 51 Attorneys General working to hold telecom providers accountable for enabling illegal robocall traffic.
Consumers are urged to take precaution when sharing their phone numbers, especially in reward programs, contests, or public events that may lead to telemarketing solicitations. Signing up for Pennsylvania’s Do Not Call list remains an option for reducing unwanted calls.
––
Key Points
- AG Dave Sunday and 50 other AGs sent warnings to 37 telecom providers over robocall violations
- FCC to remove noncompliant companies from its Robocall Mitigation Database
- Operation Robocall Roundup is part of a multistate effort to stop illegal scam calls
Pennsylvania’s top cop is going after the phone networks letting scammers ring into your home.
