Sens Thune, Moran want answers on robocall scam that received largest-ever fine

Two senators are pushing a robocaller to explain how he ran his operation, which was subject to the largest-ever fine handed down by the Federal Communications Commission on the matter.

Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune (R-SD) and Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Consumer Protection Jerry Moran (R-KS) sent a letter to Adrian Abramovich on Oct 11, asking him to explain how his robocalling operation worked and what he’s doing to mitigate any harm he may have caused. In June, the FCC fined Abramovich $122 million for his robocall company, which allegedly conducted almost 100 million illegal automated calls attempting to lure individuals into buying vacation packages and time shares. To whom Abramovich directed the calls is unclear, but robocall scams often target vulnerable groups like the elderly who may not be aware of what they’re agreeing to. The FCC said that Abramovich’s calls were uniquely problematic because they “disrupted the operations of an emergency medical paging provider.” “For lawmakers, the FCC’s identification of an alleged spoofing mastermind offers the opportunity to learn specific information about operations, partners, and the business model, which may provide valuable insight for future legislation,” Chairman Thune said.