Washington (March 23, 2020) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Senator John Thune (R-S.D.), co-authors of the Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence (TRACED) Act (S.151), today sent a letter to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Department of Justice encouraging the agencies to take all necessary steps to protect the public from illegal robocalls during the coronavirus health emergency. Recent reporting has shown that on a daily basis, bad actors are placing an estimated one million suspicious calls pertaining to coronavirus, many of which relay deceptive promises of non-existent testing services.

“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,” write Senators Markey and Thune in their letters to 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.”

A copy of the letter can be found HERE.

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