Florida teams up with federal government in the fight against robocall scams

FLORIDA — Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody and the Federal Communications Commission yesterday officially teamed up in the fight against robocalls.

According to the Attorney General’s Office, a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between state and federal robocall investigators establishes critical information sharing and cooperation structures to allow both agencies to better investigate illegal caller ID spoofing and robocall scams nationwide.

The MOU will allow the Florida Attorney General’s investigators to access information that may have been previously unobtainable and will assist with ongoing efforts to protect Floridians from scams involving illegal robocalls.

“By combining efforts and utilizing FCC resources, we are bolstering our fight to stop scams involving illegal robocalls,” said Attorney General Ashley Moody.

This new state-federal partnership will allow our office to more quickly obtain information to expedite and strengthen investigations—while eliminating any duplicative efforts. We share a common goal with the FCC to protect consumers from robocall scams. This new partnership will help us both advance this important mission.”

During investigations, both the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau and state investigators collect and analyze records, talk to witnesses, interview targets, examine consumer complaints and take other critical steps to build a case against possible bad actors.

The partnership will provide critical resources for investigations preventing duplicative efforts in protecting consumers and businesses nationwide, the Attorney General’s Office said.

The FCC offers partnering states not only the expertise of its enforcement staff, but also important resources for state investigations.

For example, the MOUs may facilitate relationships with other federal agencies and robocall-blocking companies, and provide support for critical investigative tools, including subpoenas and confidential response letters from suspected robocallers.

“The FCC and state leaders share a common enemy: robocall scammers targeting consumers and businesses around the country,” said Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel.

“My team’s commitment to protecting consumers fits hand-in-glove with state Attorney’s General ongoing efforts to combat these scams. We share a goal—to protect consumers—and, with agreements like this, we can also share the tools needed to achieve it.”