The act referred to in the title is called the Repeated Objectionable Bothering of Consumers on Phones Act, and it would require both landline and mobile phone carriers to block robocalls. Senator Schumer of New York and Jackie Speier, California legislator, drafted the act to put an end to unwanted and annoying robocalls that disturb consumers at all times of the day. According to the New York Post, in the month of April this year, two New York area codes (347 and 917) landed at the top of the nation’s list, having received 50 million robocalls throughout the month.

Ending Telemarketing Scams

Another type of calls that the new act would eradicate include the telemarketing scams that have stolen more than $350 million a year from unsuspecting and innocent people, according to Consumers Union. You may have heard the reports or news stories about these scams. The IRS posted a warning to taxpayers on their website about the pervasive telephone scam back in October 2013.

Essentially, scammers call unsuspecting individuals using an automated dialing system and tell them that they owe back taxes or have another serious unpaid debt. These scammers will threaten the people they call that if they do not pay the debt, a warrant will be issued for their arrest and they will face jail time. There is usually an urgency stressed during the phone call so that victims feel like they have to send money via Western Union or pay over the phone by credit or debit card immediately, and there is always some type of threat or consequence if the money is not paid right at that moment.

Robocalls Cause Fear, Stress & Anxiety

One particular scam told a 91-year-old lady that her daughter was injured in a car accident and she needed to send money immediately for her medical care. These calls often cause the recipients stress, anxiety, and fear until they realize that the caller is a scammer. Unfortunately, these calls happen on a daily basis and there is nothing stopping the scammers from scamming innocent people out of their money. Even when robocalls are not scams, they can still cause people fear, stress, and anxiety.

Consumers Union Campaigns to End Robocalls

Consumers Union hears about these types of scams all of the time. As a policy and action group that is part of Consumer Reports, Consumers Union campaigns with millions of activists to help with getting laws passed that protect consumers both at the state level and in Congress. You can sign their petition that demands that phone company CEOs provide free tools so that robocalls are blocked before they reach people’s phones, the same thing that the Repeated Objectionable Bothering of Consumers on Phones Act would require if it is passed.

Are You a Victim of Robocalls?

If you receive unwanted calls, texts, or faxes that were initiated by an automatic dialing system, a pre-recorded voice program, an SMS marketing campaign, or an automatic faxing system, you can put a stop to these calls by complaining to the FCC via their online complaint form. You also be entitled to compensatory damages under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act laws, however the FCC does not handle that part. You need to call an experienced TCPA law attorney and file a civil lawsuit to do that.

Call the law offices of Keogh Law LTD for a free case evaluation today at (866) 726-1092.