The Federal Communications Commission issued a record-breaking fine to the tune of nearly $300 million against the largest illegal robocall operation it has investigated to date.
The agency issued the fine for auto warranty scam robocalls and spoofing violations, which was announced in a release Thursday.
The illegal operation, which was made up of an international network of companies, violated federal statutes by making robocalls to more than 500 million phone numbers in the span of three months in 2021.
We take seriously our responsibility to protect consumers and the integrity of U.S. communications networks from the onslaught of these types of pernicious calls, said FCC Enforcement Bureau Chief Loyaan A. Egal.
SEE MORE: States band together to sue company over billions of illegal robocalls
Americans lost an average of $1,400 dollars to scam callers in 2022, according to the Federal Trade Commission.
So how can you prevent yourself from being the victim of one of these scams? The FCC recommends not answering calls from unknown numbers.
If you do pick up, do not answer questions or give out personal information.You can also talk to your phone company about call blocking tools and register your number to the National Do Not Call Registry.
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