Peters-Backed Bipartisan Bill to Crack Down on Robocallers Advances in Senate

DETROIT, MI – The U.S. Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee today unanimously approved a bipartisan bill U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) helped introduce that would help limit the increasing number of invasive robocalls Michiganders receive on a daily basis. The Anti-Spoofing Penalties Modernization Act of 2021 would increase the penalties for robocallers who use illegal caller-ID, or “spoofing”, tactics in an attempt to trick potential victims into answering their phone calls. These scammers often present themselves as government officials or representatives from popular businesses in order to convince their targets to divulge personal and financial information. In 2019, over 1.7 billion robocalls were placed to Michiganders.

“Not only are robocalls annoying, but they are often predatory and seek to scam Michiganders. Unfortunately, scammers are using ever-sophisticated methods to better ensure their robocalls are answered,” said Senator Peters, a member of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee. “We must keep working to crack down on these robocalls and increase penalties for illegal spoofing, which is why I’m pleased to see this bipartisan bill advance in the Senate.”

The bipartisan bill would specifically raise the fine for deploying caller-ID schemes from $10,000 to $20,000 per violation and increase the maximum fine for organizing predatory “spoofing” campaigns from $1 million to $2 million.

Peters previously helped introduce a similar bipartisan bill last Congress. He additionally cosponsored and helped enact the bipartisan TRACED Act, which increases penalties for scammers and coordinates federal agencies and attorneys to address impediments to criminal prosecution of robocallers.

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