Assemblyman Steve Stern, D-Dix Hills, is co-sponsoring legislation to combat unwanted tele-marketing and Robocalls.
In recent weeks, numerous attempts have been reported to scam people from spoofed numbers pretending to be from the IRS. And a Melville man was the target of two calls faking a Suffolk County Police Department number, trying to get him to pay money on a nonexistent warrant.
Americans received more than 16 billion and they are the top consumer complaint to the Federal Communications Commission, Stern said.
The “Nuisance Call Act” expands the Do-Not-Call Registry to live telemarketing calls, providing increased protections to consumers. The bill will require telemarketers to inform residents that they may request their number be added to the Do-Not-Call Registry. It also will prohibit marketers from selling contact information without express written consent.
Stern is also co-sponsoring a bill to require telecommunications providers to block “spoofing” Robocalls, which mask the real number of the caller with numbers similar to the recipient’s number. These schemes seek to fool residents into thinking they know the person calling.
“We have all faced the daily annoyance of Robocalls and telemarketing calls that repeatedly and relentlessly interrupt our dinner, family time and sleep,” Assemblyman Stern said. “These proposals will help preserve our right be left alone in our own homes and to enjoy our quality of life.”
