Robocallers have apparently been using the name of a former Abilene City Councilman/Abilene businessman to try to entice people to give to a fake police charity. Start Printed Page 52842 documents in the last year, by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission I have directed an internal review of this matter.. This document has been published in the Federal Register. The full text of this document is available for public inspection online at I had breast cancer, so they knew how to get me, she said. You are not lying, but you are being extremely misleading, said Jason Jones, 24, a former employee at Politicause. documents in the last year, 36 Here it would be virtually impossible for the consumer to do any research, he said. 727-335-7484 - Committee For Police Officer's Defense 727-335-7484 Complaint Level Low Medium High 1 User Complaints Caller Name Committee For Police Officer's Defense 1 Caller Type Scammer/Fraudster 1 File a Complaint Owner Info for 727-335-7484 User Complaints for (727) 335-7484 Caller name: Committee for Police Officer's Defense This new portal will not affect the process by which a consumer submits an informal complaint about a robocall or spoofed call, using the long-standing process located on the Commission's homepage. The data in turn informs the Commission's policy work, serves as a deterrent to companies the Commission regulates and contributes to consumer protection efforts. Demonstrators attempt to breach the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Learn more here. Start Printed Page 52841 A spokesperson for the Republican Attorneys General Association did not address questions about the robocall but sought to distance the organization from the event. The authority citation for part 0 continues to read as follows: Authority: regulatory information on FederalRegister.gov with the objective of ThePAC, organized by Zachary Bass, spent 90% of its take on fundraising, campaign filings show. Thus, if Congress had intended to include individuals, we presume that it would have used the term person. Moreover, in other statutes the term private entity is often used to refer to organizations rather than individuals. It is not an official legal edition of the Federal Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 Analysis. Document page views are updated periodically throughout the day and are cumulative counts for this document. Stephanie T. Nguyen, Chief Technology Officer, Competition and Consumer Protection Guidance Documents, HSR threshold adjustments and reportability for 2023, A Century of Technological Evolution at the Federal Trade Commission, National Consumer Protection Week 2023 Begins Sunday, March 5, FTC at the 65th Annual Heard Museum Guild Indian Fair & Market - NCPW 2023, Jason Cardiff (Redwood Scientific Technologies, Inc.), Telemarketer Fees to Access the FTCs National Do Not Call Registry to Increase in 2023, FTC Extends its Crackdown on Subscription Scam That Fleeced Consumers and Harassed Them Over the Phone, Federal Trade Commission Proposes Small Business Protections Against Telemarketing Tricks and Traps, FTC Takes Action to Stop Voice over Internet Provider from Facilitating Illegal Telemarketing Robocalls, Including Scams Relating to the Pandemic, Federal Court Rules in Favor of FTC, Halting Illegal Tactics Used to Promote Smoking Cessation, Weight-Loss, and Sexual-Performance Aids, FTC Issues Biennial Report to Congress on the National Do Not Call Registry, FTC Issues Refunds Totaling More Than $1.8 Million to Consumers Defrauded by Lifewatch, Inc.s Deceptive Medical Alert Telemarketing Scheme, FTC Releases 2021 Do Not Call Registry Data Book; Reports Registrations and Consumer Complaints Both Increased in FY 2021, FTC to Ramp up Enforcement against Illegal Dark Patterns that Trick or Trap Consumers into Subscriptions, FTC Returns $1.1 Million to Consumers Who Lost Money to Alleged Scammers Selling Bogus Income Opportunities, FTC Testifies before the Senate Special Committee on Aging About the Agencys Work to Halt Practices that Prey on Older Americans, Seven Remaining Defendants in Massive Grand Bahama Cruise Line Operation Banned from Making Telemarketing Robocalls; Principals will Pay $100,000 in Civil Penalties, Telemarketer Fees to Access the FTCs National Do Not Call Registry to Increase in 2022, FTC Takes Action against Septic Tank Cleaning Company that Made Millions of Illegal Robocalls to Consumers Nationwide, FTC, 38 States, and D.C. Act to Shut Down Massive Charity Fraud Telefunding Operation, Scammers Who Used Robocalls to Target Cash-Strapped Consumers Banned from Selling Debt Relief Services and Telemarketing, FTC and FCC Send Joint Letters to Additional VoIP Providers Warning against Routing and Transmitting Illegal Coronavirus-related Robocalls, FTC and FCC Send Joint Letters to VoIP Service Providers Warning against Routing and Transmitting Illegal Coronavirus-related Robocalls, FTC Warns Nine VoIP Service Providers and Other Companies against Assisting and Facilitating Illegal Coronavirus-related Telemarketing Calls, FTC Warns 19 VoIP Service Providers That Assisting and Facilitating Illegal Telemarketing or Robocalling Is Against the Law, 4 reasons why the latest FTC robocall cases should matter to your business, FTC goes to court to unravel robocalling net, FTC challenges robocallers false threat that small businesses will be removed from Google, Decision bolsters FTC position on soundboard tech, Working Together to Protect Midwest Consumers: A Common Ground Conference, Common Ground: Fighting Schemes and Scams in a Tough Economy, North Carolina Consumer Protection Workshop, Midwest Region 2012 Common Ground Conference, Statement of Andrew Smith, Director, Bureau of Consumer Protection, at Operation Call It Quits Press Conference, Prepared Remarks of Chairman Joseph Simons at USTelecom Forum: Turning the Tide on Illegal Robocalls, Prepared Remarks of Chairman Joseph Simons at the ABA Consumer Protection Conference, Statement Of Commissioner Rebecca Kelly Slaughter before the Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Digital Commerce and Consumer Protection, U.S. House of Representatives, Prepared Statement of the Federal Trade Commission: Abusive Robocalls and How We Can Stop Them, Before the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, United States Senate, FTC-FCC Joint Policy Forum on Fighting the Scourge of Illegal Robocalls, Prepared Statement of the Federal Trade Commission: "Still Ringing Off the Hook: An Update on Efforts To Combat Robocalls," Before the Special Committee on Aging, United States Senate, Prepared Statement of the Federal Trade Commission On Combatting Illegal Robocalls: Initiatives To End the Epidemic, Blog Post: Do Not Robocall Me: The FTC Strikes Back, Prepared Statement of the Federal Trade Commission Entitled Stopping Fraudulent Robocall Scams: Can More Be Done?, Concurring Statement of Commissioner Maureen K. Ohlhausen, Avoid Coronavirus Scams - Tip 1: Hang Up on Robocalls, Robocall Challenge Winners Press Conference, FTC Robocall Challenge: Consumer Tips & Tricks. Add 64.1606 to subpart P to read as follows: (a) Any private entity may submit to the Enforcement Bureau information related to a call or text message that the private entity has reason to believe included misleading or inaccurate caller identification information in violation of 64.1604(a) or 47 U.S.C. Register, and does not replace the official print version or the official We find that our decision to exclude individual consumers from the definition of private entity will greatly reduce, if not eliminate, potential confusion. developer tools pages. It is a way for them to get around the charity laws thats exactly what theyre doing, said Stuart Discount, chief executive of the Professional Association for Customer Engagement, a trade association for direct marketers. This is John calling from the committee. 6. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure youre on a federal government site. Date Blocked March 12, 2022 Call Activity Low Last detected 10 months ago Block this robocall and over 6,210,974 more! We are committed to protecting and defending law enforcement against progressive politicians, judges, and other officials that encourage the war on cops. Reuters interviewed a dozen donors to PACs in the informal network. On September 1, 2009, new FTC rules went into effect prohibiting most prerecorded telemarketing calls, commonly known as robocalls, unless the telemarketer has the consumers prior written authorization to transmit such calls. The Commission's Enforcement Bureau (Bureau) will monitor the portal. 227(b). Through interviews with the former callers and donors, reviews of call scripts and visits to threecall centers in Alabama, Reuters has obtained rare access into the world of these for-profit fundraisers, a tiny but lucrative niche of the multi-billion-dollar U.S. telemarketing industry. 4. We could no longer say, We are helping police officers get body armor, but we could say, We are supporting efforts to get them body armor, said Jackie Armstrong, 32, a former Politicause employee. Open for Comment, Russian Harmful Foreign Activities Sanctions, Economic Sanctions & Foreign Assets Control, Fisheries of the Northeastern United States, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Further Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government, PART 64MISCELLANEOUS RULES RELATING TO COMMON CARRIERS, https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2021-14711, MODS: Government Publishing Office metadata, https://ecfsapi.fcc.gov/file/06171386503472/FCC-21-75A3.pdf. CTIA, SAFE Credit Union (SAFE), Twilio, Inc., and USTelecom-The Broadband Association (USTelecom) filed comments. Some fundraisers work in both worlds, raising money for charities andPACs. What a racket, oh my God., On his website, Zeitlin said his firms revenue which he described as 80% to 90% of the proceeds may seem high but actually is standard for the industry and is needed to offset high costs for technology and intensive time-consuming labor.. shall send Its the only thing in life Ive ever been (expletive) good at, said Armstrong, who records show has theft and drug convictions. Information about this document as published in the Federal Register. (269) 257-6522 is a Fake Police Charity Robocall Do not answer. In addition, we note that pursuant to the Small Business Paperwork Relief Act of 2002, we previously sought specific comment on how the Commission might further reduce the information collection burden for small business concerns with fewer than 25 employees. 13. A website set up to promote the rally that preceded the Capitol incursion lists the Rule of Law Defense Fund as one of the participating organizations. Former Politicause employee Armstrong said he was fired in 2018, when the call center did charity fundraising, for having drugs at work. We recognize that consumers might mistakenly file complaints through the new streamlined process rather than the existing consumer complaint process. For example, in two enforcement actions, a medical paging company was a key source; it informed the Bureau that the paging company's phone lines were being bombarded by spoofed robocalls. Organizationally and individually, we strongly condemn and disavow the events which occurred., One of its members, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, attended the rally and spoke to the crowd, saying, We will not quit fighting., Following the Capitol invasion, he tweeted, I am sorely disappointed today in the certification of the election, but I dont believe violence is the answer.. The fundraisers later went to work for PACs under the names Politicause and Pledge Assistance, both registered in Wyoming, which requires little disclosure from corporations. Callers told Reuters they easily made the switch, working in the same buildings, for the same bosses, using similar scripts. 11. Victor J. documents in the last year, 26 We do not support any similar activities now, and will not in the future., A Microsoft spokesperson said: We condemn the actions taken by the RLDF and are raising our concerns directly with RAGA. corresponding official PDF file on govinfo.gov. The President of the United States communicates information on holidays, commemorations, special observances, trade, and policy through Proclamations. Alex Angelides, a 31-year-old engineer from Arlington, Virginia, donated $600to a superPAC called For a Better America, which spent 90% of its money on fundraising alone. . Blue / Bloomberg via Getty Images. The Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau uses this Caller type: Scammer/Fraudster. It also has roots in charity fundraising. 804(2). Twilio recommends that the Commission create one centralized mechanism for reporting all information regarding robocalling and spoofing, whether it is from a whistleblower, company, or consumer. Police officer's scam robocall warning goes viral The "GMA" team of insiders analyzes some of the biggest stories trending this morning. At the time Reuters visited, the firms Hoover call center was jammed with desks and callers on headsets. 10. Jul 10, 2020, 08:10 ET. Recording / robocall Comments . Heroes United, accused of using deceptive tactics to get the firefighter donations, agreed to stop telemarketing in the county and to refund any donations. Thats what critics call political action committees that gobble up most of the money they raise rather than using it forthe charitable or other causes they profess to support. e.g., Federal campaign records tell part of the story. (c) Compliance dateparagraph (a) of this section contains a voluntary information collection. 19. The President of the United States issues other types of documents, including but not limited to; memoranda, notices, determinations, letters, messages, and orders. The Report and Order contains new or modified information collection requirements subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA). All told, the PACs took in $83.1 million during the 2 year period examined by Reuters, about 82% of which went to the eight fundraising companies, according to the campaign disclosures required by the FEC. The otherwise bland office was decorated with posters from the film Glengarry Glen Ross, a tale of ruthless telemarketer salesmen set in a real-estate boiler room. informational resource until the Administrative Committee of the Federal Amend 0.111 by redesignating paragraph (j) as paragraph (k) and revising it and by adding new paragraph (j) to read as follows: (j) Collects and reviews information received from private entities related to violations of 64.1200(a) and 64.1604(a) of this chapter. Elsewhere in the Communications Act, however, Congress used the term person to include individuals and organizational entities. For instance, the operation raised $16.8 million for PACs founded by Robert Piaro of Fredonia, Wisconsin, which purported to support police, veterans and people with breast cancer. 15. Lina M. Khan was sworn in as Chair of the Federal Trade Commission on June 15, 2021. for better understanding how a document is structured but documents in the last year, 467 fcc504@fcc.gov Few other top officers at these fundraising firms and PACS would speak to Reuters on the record. March 24, 2017 It spent $103,700 on behalf of House candidates about 3% of the total, and it has contributed nothing directly to veterans groups. In this Issue, Documents Both Politicause and TPFE had procedures to keep workers with fraud convictions from handling credit card information, former callers said, although Politicause workers said the rules were sometimes relaxed for high performers. The .gov means its official. That could punish well-intentioned organizations, he said. Listen Transcript Hello, good evening. ) on December 8, 2020, proposing to establish a streamlined process for private entities to submit information about robocall violations to the Commission. At Politicause, for instance, some said they initially were told to say donations would be used to help buy new police and fire equipment. establishing the XML-based Federal Register as an ACFR-sanctioned Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. We have been assured by RAGA that none of our contributions to RAGA were given to the Rule of Law Defense Fund., In a statement, Comcast said: "We have long supported Democratic and Republican associations of attorneys general. documents in the last year, 35 NPRM, Although the portal will not reject submissions that fail to include the above information, such failure will make it more difficult for the Bureau to investigate fully and take appropriate enforcement action. daniel.stepanicich@fcc.gov. No Republican AG authorized the staffs decision to amplify a colleague speaking at the event. Its hard to bring these cases unless you have evidence disproving that.. The calls, which often target elderly donors, come from a variety of generic and similar-sounding aliases: The Police Officers Support Association, the National Emergency Responders Coalition and. POLICE OFFICERS DEFENSE ALLIANCE PAC. has no substantive legal effect. 03/03/2023, 43 documents in the last year, 663 or call the FCC's Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau at (202) 418-0530 (voice), (202) 418-0432 (TTY). Memo from Chair Lina M. Khan to commission staff and commissioners regarding the vision and priorities for the FTC. About 82% of the money, $13.8 million, went to Zeitlins firms, while Piaro collected $190,613 in salary from the PACs, according to the records. While every effort has been made to ensure that Efforts to pass anti-robocall legislation have stalled for years, but the agreement announced Friday increases the odds that Congress will send the White House a bill before 2020. We define private entity as any entity other than (1) an individual natural person or (2) a public entity. 03/03/2023, 207 publication in the future. Some of the most aggressive actions against allegedly deceptive PACs and their fundraisers have come from state or local law enforcement officials. This robocall tip line will provide a streamlined process for reporting potential violations, and will enable the Enforcement Bureau to respond quickly to disruptive robocalling events. The rules we adopt today create a streamlined process by which a private entity may submit information about suspected robocall and spoofing violations directly to the Bureau via an online portal located on the FCC website. The Public Inspection page documents in the last year, by the Energy Department Timely and thorough information from private entities is crucial to enable the Commission to mitigate illegal robocall incidents and bring swift enforcement actions. 21. Private entity submissions of spoofing violations. Drug abuse was a problem at both call centers, ex-employees said. Police officers defense back. Several told NBC News that spending money on this kind of recruitment for protest runs counter to the purpose of their donation. An official website of the United States government. A web of new political action committees raised nearly $6 million in recent months under the guise of supporting police, veterans and . You are not lying, but you are being extremely misleading. 9. 30 days after publication in the New Documents When organizations operate as political action committees, however, they are not subject to the laws governing charity fundraising, according to federal and state regulators and telemarketing industry officials. Mailing address: 8228 FAWN MEADOW AVE LAS VEGAS, NV 89149. Streamlined Process. The PACs examined for this article typically handed over less than 10% of their take sometimes less than 1% to candidates or causes, Reuters found. Generally, those in the informal network portrayed themselves as charitable, gave little to the causes they promoted and relied principally on small donors. The OFR/GPO partnership is committed to presenting accurate and reliable While we encourage private entities to make use of the registered consortium's resources, we decline to mandate that private entities must coordinate with the consortium prior to submitting information to the Commission. and services, go to These so-called scam PACs and their fundraisers exploit the gray zone between U.S. election finance and state charity fundraising laws, regulators told Reuters. We also clarify that a public entity is any governmental organization at the federal, state, or local level. The workers said Politicause managers eventually reined in that practice, requiring them to instead say that at least 10% went to the cause. It is further ordered . Counts are subject to sampling, reprocessing and revision (up or down) throughout the day. fcc504@fcc.gov One Piaro committee, Americans for the Cure of Breast Cancer, garnered $1.6 million in donations through Zeitlins fundraising operations and made one charitable contribution, $10,000 to the Susan G. Komen Foundation less than 1% of the total raised, campaign filings show. 03/03/2023, 234 No Impact on Informal Consumer Complaint Process. Reuters also could not ascertain the ownership of another large fundraising operation with a call center in Hoover, Alabama, some 45 miles from Zeitlins center in Sylacauga. How do I know you are telling the truth or the people who talked to you are telling the truth? he said. The Bureau will review information submitted through the portal to assess violations of the rules in the same manner that it reviews information submitted to the Commission through other means. Compliance with the requirements of that information collection will not be required until after approval by the Office of Management and Budget. If youre a PAC, and youre raising money for one purpose and doing something else, thats fraud, said Elizabeth Grant, who oversees the Oregon Department of Justice Charities unit. The Police Officers' Defense Coalition was developed in consort with the Committee for Police Officers' Defense in order to help police officers, public safety officers, sheriffs, and all those who represent the law enforcement community fight against the "War on C ops". 24. We were very clear with RAGA that we could not continue our relationship unless we had assurances that they take steps to ensure that nothing like this would happen again.. Download the NBC News app for breaking news and politics, The Republican Attorneys General Association and Rule of Law Defense Fund had no involvement in the planning, sponsoring, or the organization of Wednesdays event, the spokesperson said. The site has since been taken down. Many companies that donated to the Republican Attorneys General Association also gave to the Democratic Party equivalent. Police Officers' Defense Coalition and Committee for Police Officers' Defense is committed to cleaning up the annals of justice by flushing out those who pretend to represent the people, but instead manipulate the system and the prosecute police officers as a stepping stone to their next higher political office. daniel.stepanicich@fcc.gov. People with Disabilities. We are appalled at Wednesday's incursion into the Capital, and did not support any efforts by the Rule of Law Defense Fund, he said. 47 U.S.C.