Kevin Rupy Discusses Shutdown of Robocall Scam Related to Coronavirus

April 6, 2020

Kevin G. Rupy, partner in Wiley’s Telecom, Media & Technology Practice, was quoted in an April 5 article in The Wall Street Journal about a successful strategy to shut down an illegal robocall scam related to the coronavirus pandemic.

An industry task force, led by trade association USTelecom, recently collaborated with federal agencies to identify and stop a series of scam phone calls promoting spurious test kits, remedies, and economic assistance, according to the article. Phone companies shut down the overseas accounts where the robocalls originated after they were notified of the illegal activity and, in some cases, threatened with legal action by the Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Trade Commission.

It is rare for authorities to act on a stream of robocalls so quickly, according to Mr. Rupy, who previously served as Vice President of Law and Policy at USTelecom.

“Rapidly identifying the source of these calls and getting them shut down – that is a game changer,” Mr. Rupy said. He added that “the most effective way to block these calls is to prevent them” in the first place.

The article can be found here (subscription required).