SENATE BILL WOULD DOUBLE PENALTIES FOR MISLEADING AND INACCURATE CALLER ID INFORMATION

The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation has unanimously approved the Anti-Spoofing Penalties Modernization Act of 2021 (Modernization Act). The bill, S. 594, was introduced in March of 2021 by Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) and was originally co-sponsored by Senators Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), Josh Hawley (R-MO) and Gary Peters (D-MI). It would “double the penalties for illegal caller-ID ‘spoofing,’ a tactic scammers often use to trick victims into answering their phone calls.”

https://www.collins.senate.gov/newsroom/bill-crack-down-deceptive-tactic-used-robocallers-advances-senate

The Truth In Caller ID Act (47.U.S.C. 227(e) enacted in 2010 “prohibits the use of misleading or inaccurate caller-ID information to intentionally defraud, cause harm, or wrongfully obtain anything of value.” Current penalties under the statute are $10,000 per violation with a maximum fine of $1 million.” The Modernization Act would double those penalties to $20,000 and $2 million, respectively.

In her press release after Committee approval, Senator Collins said: “Older Americans lose billions of dollars each year to an ever-growing array of financial exploitation schemes.  These scams vary in nature, from COVID-19 scams to government imposter scams to prize, sweepstakes, and lottery scams…We must work together to stop the criminals who use illegal robocalls and spoofing to steal Americans’ hard-earned savings and personal information.  By increasing penalties for spoofing violations, the bipartisan Anti-Spoofing Penalties Modernization Act would provide an additional tool in this fight. I am pleased that the Commerce Committee advanced our legislation today, and I urge my colleagues to support its passage.”

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