FCC proposes record $225M fine for massive robocall campaign

Texas-based health insurance telemarketers made 1 billion illegally spoofed robocalls, says the Federal Communications Commission.

Rae Hodge Former senior editor

Rae Hodge was a senior editor at CNET. She led CNET's coverage of privacy and cybersecurity tools from July 2019 to January 2023. As a data-driven investigative journalist on the software and services team, she reviewed VPNs, password managers, antivirus software, anti-surveillance methods and ethics in tech. Prior to joining CNET in 2019, Rae spent nearly a decade covering politics and protests for the AP, NPR, the BBC and other local and international outlets.

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Rae Hodge

June 9, 2020 11:25 a.m. PT

The US Federal Communications Commission proposed on Tuesday a $225 million fine against Texas-based health insurance telemarketers for making approximately 1 billion illegally spoofed robocalls in 2019 under several business names. The telemarketers falsely claimed to offer health insurance plans through major health insurance companies, the FCC said in a release.

If approved, the FCC's proposed $225 million fine would be the largest in the commission's 86-year history.

The proposed fine is the latest in a series of escalating efforts by the FCC to crack down on robocalls, which have recently included efforts to require all companies that provide phone service to implement automatic call blocking technology, and threats to cut off service providers that allow illegal COVID-19 related robocalls.