The Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel announced on March 28, 2022 that seven additional district and state Attorneys General are now partnering through Memoranda of Understanding (“MOU”) with the Commission in robocall investigations. https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-launches-new-robocall-investigation-partnerships-more-states
The new states/jurisdictions are Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Idaho, Kentucky, Minnesota, New Jersey, and Wyoming. This brings to twenty-two the total number of state-federal partnerships. The FCC also built upon existing MOUs with robocall investigators in Michigan and West Virginia.
The FCC’s New Release reported that “these Memoranda of Understanding between state robocall investigators and the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau establish critical information sharing and cooperation structures to investigate spoofing and robocalls scam campaigns.”
In the News Release, FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel noted: “The FCC and these state leaders share a common enemy: robocall scammers targeting consumers and businesses around the country…. My team’s commitment to protecting consumers fits hand-in-glove with state Attorneys General’s ongoing efforts to combat these scams. We share a goal – to protect consumers – and with these agreements, we can also share the tools needed to achieve it.”
According to the News Release, “the FCC offers partner states not only the expertise of its enforcement staff but also important resources to support state investigations. For example, the MOUs may facilitate relationships with other actors in this space including other federal agencies and robocall blocking companies, and support for and expertise with critical investigative tools including subpoenas and confidential response letters from suspected robocallers.”