WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.), chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), chairman of the Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, Insurance, and Data Security, have requested information from the alleged perpetrator of one of the largest spoofed robocall campaigns ever investigated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The committee’s request to Adrian Abramovich of Marketing Strategy Leaders, Inc., seeks information about alleged actions, including records of robocalls made by his business and its relationship to other businesses and contractors.

“Illegal robocalls are always annoying and sometimes a dangerous scam,” said Thune. “Tracking down perpetrators of illegal calls is difficult, but the FCC has had a recent success. For lawmakers, the FCC’s identification of an alleged spoofing mastermind offers the opportunity to learn specific information about operations, partners, and the business model, which may provide valuable insight for future legislation.”

“Not only are spoofed robocalls illegal and misleading, they also often prey on the most vulnerable – especially elderly Americans,” said Moran. “Further, nearly 31 percent of all consumer complaints to the FCC involving unwanted calls concern robocalls specifically. I’m pleased to see the FCC take the issue of spoofed robocalls seriously, and I look forward to identifying ways to curb this illegal behavior.”

The committee’s inquiry to Abramovich requests the following information no later than October 24, 2017:

1.      Do you acknowledge engaging in the conduct alleged in the June 22, 2017, Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture (NAL) sent by the FCC?

2.      If so, describe when and how you began robocalling and engaging in neighbor spoofing, including the type(s) of devices and technologies used.

3.      Provide a record of all robocalls you and/or your businesses have made.

4.      Describe any relationships you or your businesses had with third party contractors, including, but not limited to, third parties representing themselves as popular American travel and hospital companies.

5.      What steps are you taking to ensure that your businesses and your affiliates are not currently engaging in the illegal activity described in the NAL?

6.      How are you addressing the apparent harm to consumers, carriers, and misrepresented companies and individuals caused by the alleged spoofing?

Spoofing is the process of changing the caller identification of an incoming call, often an automated robocall, to misrepresent its identity or origin.

Click here for the full letter to Abramovich.

The Commerce Committee exercises jurisdiction in the Senate over the FCC, telecommunications policy, and consumer protection.

###