Attorney general: Robocall scams on the rise

Attorney General Pam Bondi and FTC shut down 2 scams targeting Floridians

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida's attorney general is warning about an increase in robocall scams. According to the attorney general's office, the number of complaints about those calls to the No Fraud Hotline is on the rise.

Over the past two weeks, Attorney General Pam Bondi and the Federal Trade Commission took legal action to shut down two scams involving robocalls targeting Floridians.

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Additionally, the Federal Communications Commission on Friday issued a formal ruling to further tighten laws relating to robocalling.

"Scammers hid behind robocalls to take advantage of consumers and disguise their identities, but this tactics will not work in Florida. My consumer protection investigators are diligent in their efforts to track down the sources of these illegal calls and to hold the individuals profiting from them accountable," said Bondi.

Bondi's office also says one reason for the increase in the number of robocall complaints may be advances in technology that allow companies to make up to 1,000 robocalls every minute. 

Generally, only non-profits and political organizations are allowed to make robocalls. Companies that have written consent from their customers are allowed to send prerecorded telephone messages.

 The Attorney General's office has some tips for consumers to help recognize a scam:

If a consumer gets a robocall pitching a product, it's likely a scam.

Hang up the phone: If a robocall directs a consumer to press a button to speak to an operator or to be removed from the company's call list, hang up right away. Pressing a button confirms that the solicitation is being heard and can lead to more robocalls. 

Register phone numbers: Consumers who do not wish to get solicitations over the phone should register phone numbers with the national and state Do Not Call registries by using DoNotCall.gov and FLDNC.com.

Take notes: Consumers getting robocalls should write down the name of the company mentioned in the prerecorded message and phone number associated with the call. 

Consumers can report robocall solicitations to the Florida Attorney General's No Fraud Hotline at 1-866-9NO-SCAM or online at MyFloridaLegal.com