The Federal Communications Commission is fining the company responsible for about 10 million robocalls that directed customers to call “ScammerBlaster” — which scammed customers.
The commissioners voted unanimously to fine the company $116 million at their monthly meeting Thursday.
“I too can’t believe we are dealing with a company called ScammerBlaster,” said Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel during the meeting. “I detest robocalls and I believe that if we want to stop them we need both defense and offense.”
The commission’s Enforcement Bureau found Thomas Dorsher and his company, ChariTel Inc., made nearly 10 million scam calls to businesses between January and March 2021 with pre-recorded messages referencing ScammerBlaster, according to the commission.
This fine comes as the commission implemented a rule earlier this year to have phone companies implement technology to stop robocalls. And the commission sent cease and desist letters to companies last week to stop carrying calls from known scammers.
And Rosenworcel hopes the commission can get greater enforcement power to crack down further, she said.
“We have issued many fines just like this one. But after we do, we have to hand them over to our colleagues at the Justice Department and hope for further action. I like hope. But instead of wishing for the best, I would like the certainty of this agency being able to go to court directly and collect fines against these bad actors — each and every one of them,” Rosenworcel said. “This will take a change in the law and we need Congress to fix that. But I think this is a robocall change worth fighting for.”