Attorney General Kwame Raoul has issued warnings to four voice service providers for transmitting suspected illegal robocall traffic. The warnings come as part of efforts by the 51-attorney general Anti-Robocall Multistate Litigation Task Force, which is investigating these providers.
Raoul stated, "These letters should serve as a warning to others who attempt to profit off robocalls that cost consumers time and money and violate their privacy." He emphasized his office's commitment to working with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to curb such activities in Illinois and nationwide.
The task force cautioned that continued violations of state and federal laws by these providers could lead to further legal actions. The companies receiving warning letters include KWK Communications, Inc., Inbound Inc., AKA Management, Inc., and CallVox LLC. Each company has been associated with various scams through high volumes of calls flagged as suspicious or potentially illegal.
KWK Communications reportedly received at least 129 traceback notices between 2020 and 2022 for calls related to IRS, Social Security Administration, auto warranty, and utilities scams. Inbound Inc. allegedly routed over 28.4 million scam robocalls in one month in 2022 and had previously been issued a cease-and-desist demand by the FTC.
AKA Management faced at least 129 traceback notices for government imposter and tech support scams, allegedly routing about 12.1 million Amazon and Apple imposter robocalls in one month in 2022. CallVox LLC received more than 47 traceback notices for unlawful or suspicious calls during the same period.
The Anti-Robocall Multistate Litigation Task Force aims to investigate and take legal action against entities responsible for significant volumes of illegal robocall traffic across the U.S.
Attorney General Raoul has long advocated for protections against illegal robocalls. He joined a coalition defending anti-robocall provisions of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act in the U.S. Supreme Court in 2022. Raoul also partnered with other attorneys general and phone companies in initiatives aimed at fighting robocalls since August 2019.
In cooperation with the Federal Trade Commission, Raoul announced a major crackdown on robocalls in June 2019, targeting operations responsible for over a billion calls nationwide. He continues to urge the FCC to adopt rules aimed at reducing unwanted telemarketing calls.