HARRISBURG – In an effort to crack down on deceptive and nuisance telephone calls, the Senate on Monday approved a bill, 49-0, banning the practice of caller ID “spoofing,” according to Sen. Gene Yaw (R-23), who supported the measure.
Senate Bill 236 is designed to protect citizens from misleading telemarketing “robocalls,” particularly those that disguise their real phone number by making it look like a local number, increasing the likelihood that the call will be answered.
“The computerized telemarketing messages are very intrusive,” Sen. Yaw said. “They prey on trusting Pennsylvanians, including our vulnerable senior citizens, and are intended to confuse and defraud the recipients.” According to Yaw, the legislation also prevents telemarketing calls before 8 a.m. and after 8 p.m.
Consumers in the U.S. have received just under 40 billion robocalls so far in 2021. In addition to being a nuisance, these calls are costly. Nearly 60 million Americans say they’ve fallen victim to a phone scam in the past year, stemming from calls claiming to be from the IRS, companies selling limited-duration health insurance plans or from companies inquiring about an expiring car warranty.
Senate Bill 236 now heads to the House of Representatives for its consideration.
CONTACT: Nick Troutman (717) 787-3280