Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, in collaboration with 50 other state attorneys general, has issued a warning to iDentidad Advertising Development, LLC. The company, also known as iDentidad Telecom, is accused of transmitting suspected illegal robocall traffic. "More than just an annoyance, illegal robocalls can result in scams that hurt Michigan residents," said Nessel. She emphasized the importance of holding businesses accountable for their role in these activities.
The Anti-Robocall Multistate Litigation Task Force, which includes 51 bipartisan attorneys general, investigates and takes legal action against entities responsible for routing illegal robocalls into the United States. The Federal Communications Commission has also issued a cease-and-desist order to iDentidad. The task force noted that iDentidad received nearly 200 traceback notices for calls routed to the U.S., mostly originating from outside the country. These calls were linked to scams involving IRS/Social Security Administration imposters and utilities fraud.
Attorney General Nessel announced the formation of this task force in August 2022 with the aim of reducing illegal robocalls. If iDentidad continues its current practices, legal actions such as seeking damages and civil penalties may be pursued.
For Michigan residents concerned about identity theft through robocalls or seeking more information on protection measures, resources are available on the Department's website. Nessel has also initiated an in-state effort to combat robocalls. According to reports from the National Consumer Law Center and Electronic Privacy Information Center, over 33 million scam robocalls are made daily to Americans.
In March 2023, Nessel secured judgments against a Texas-based operation responsible for billions of illegal robocalls nationwide. She has also joined a multistate lawsuit against Avid Telecom for allegedly facilitating billions of illegal calls in violation of federal and state laws.
The Michigan Department of Attorney General continues to accept complaints about robocalls through its online form.