Senators urge agencies to stop coronavirus robocalls

Sens. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and John Thune (R-S.D.) sent letters to key federal agencies Monday urging them to do more to combat coronavirus-related robocalls.

The lawmakers referenced a Washington Post report detailing how scammers have taken advantage of the epidemic to pitch fake COVID-19 testing kits or sell nonexistent medical equipment.

“We are particularly concerned by the threat these calls pose to elderly Americans. They are especially vulnerable to robocall scams, and they are among those at the greatest risk from coronavirus,” Markey and Thune wrote in letters to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai and Attorney General William Barr.

“Robocalls that spread misinformation about cures, peddle ineffective equipment, and offer bogus medical advice have the potential to inflict significant harm on individuals and communities across the country.”

Coronavirus scams are an illustrative example of how robocallers can use crises to target vulnerable populations.

Congress took action on the threat late last year, passing the Pallone-Thune Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence Act, named after Thune and the bill’s House sponsor, Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. (D-N.J.).

The bill, signed by President Trump on New Year’s Eve, requires phone companies to block robocalls without charging customers any extra money.