Neustar, Inc., a global information services and technology company and leader in identity resolution, is offering landline, mobile, cable and VoIP carriers its Robocall Mitigation service free of charge for the next two months to help protect subscribers from scams related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The service is automatically activated on the carrier’s network and takes effect May 15, 2020. The service will alert subscribers to potential spam calls by displaying a message in the Caller ID field on the consumer’s device.

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The Federal Communications Commission has noted an increase in illegal robocalls and telemarketing scams as bad actors attempt to capitalize on the crisis and prey on consumers’ concerns. Common scams include offers of free COVID-19 testing or sales of bogus protective equipment, as well as work-from-home opportunities and debt consolidation offers. Authorities are concerned that as the economic uncertainty continues, criminals will begin to implement aggressive and fraudulent debt-collection tactics as well. Though the FCC and the Federal Trade Commission have taken action against the most egregious robocall and spam call violators, a multifaceted approach is needed to combat the problem most effectively.

Reducing robocalls, in line with the TRACED Act, is a top priority of the FCC, but many smaller carriers still lack the ability to fully comply with TRACED Act regulations and flag robocalls and potential spam while ensuring that important calls — such as emergency COVID-19 communications from health care providers and state and local health officials — are allowed through.

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“During these unprecedented times, the phone channel has become an increasingly vital link,” said James Garvert, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Caller Identification Solutions at Neustar, “Our primary goal is to help our customers’ subscribers. Ensuring essential organizations can communicate effectively while reducing the number of fraudulent calls from scammers preying on society’s most vulnerable are critical services during this crisis.”

Neustar has implemented its Robocall Mitigation service for some of the largest U.S. carriers, including Verizon, Inteliquent, and Frontier, and the solution is currently helping protect approximately 75 million subscribers from illegal robocalls. The service detects calls originating from illegal telephone numbers (such as those with area codes that do not exist, those that have not been assigned to a provider, or those assigned to a provider but  not currently in use) and flags potential spam calls so recipients can respond with caution should they choose to answer.

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