STATEMENT OF 
COMMISSIONER GEOFFREY STARKS 

Re:     Protecting Consumers from One-Ring Scams, CG Docket No. 20-93.
           

Stopping illegal robocalls and related telephone scams is the Commission’s top consumer protection priority.   To that end, we have recently taken actions to implement several requirements in the TRACED Act, passed just four months ago, that will enhance our ability to identify the sources of and stop these annoying and sometimes costly calls.  We have also stepped up our enforcement game, recently partnering with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to warn certain providers that we know are enabling COVID-19-related scam robocalls that if they persist, we will authorize other providers to block such calls from entering the U.S.  It is unconscionable that scammers would prey on vulnerable Americans during such a disorienting pandemic.    
The one-ring scam, which often involves robocalls using caller ID spoofing, is especially harmful because it can result in surprise telephone bill charges and other costs for unsuspecting consumers.  We must stay nimble, vigilant and aggressive.  By focusing on how to promote consumer education about one-ring call scams, and how to identify (and stop) these calls as they happen, we can empower U.S. voice service providers to help us protect all Americans consumers from them. Accordingly, I approve.