An estimated 835,000 Washingtonians lost money to scam robocalls in 2021
OLYMPIA — Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced that he is partnering with Rep. Mari Leavitt, D-University Place, on legislation to combat robocalls.
Washington’s current anti-robocalling law is weak and out-of-date. Ferguson and Leavitt’s Robocall Scam Protection Act, HB 1051, modernizes the law and makes it a violation of the Consumer Protection Act to:
Robocall someone on the Do Not Call Registry;
Deliberately falsify the caller ID display to disguise the caller’s identity; and
Knowingly facilitate illegal robocalls if you are a voice service provider.
The legislation is part of Attorney General Ferguson’s anti-robocalling initiative that he launched this year to combat fraudulent, harassing and illegal robocalls.
Robocalls are more than just annoying — robocallers who ignore the federal Do Not Call Registry are often scammers trying to steal a consumer’s money or identity. According to YouMail, Washingtonians received nearly 260 million scam robocalls in 2021 — nearly half of the 616 million total robocalls into Washington.
That adds up to an average of between three and four scam robocalls per month for every Washingtonian.
These robocalls have a cost. According to estimates based on TrueCaller survey data, more than 835,000 Washingtonians lost money to scam robocalls in 2021.
“It’s time to stop illegal robocalls,” Ferguson said. “The Legislature must give Washingtonians stronger and clearer legal protections against the daily bombardment of illegal robocalls — and provide additional tools to my office to hold bad actors accountable.”
“Our seniors, youth and most financially fragile neighbors are experiencing more and more scams in the form of robocalls and other electronic messages to cell phones,” Rep. Leavitt said. “These schemes aim to trick many of our neighbors, friends and loved ones. Our uncles, aunts, parents and grandparents are often anticipating calls to schedule needed care like medical appointments. But this also presents a prime opportunity for bad actors to prey on our senior citizens. Last year alone, these scam calls cost Americans billions. Addressing the gap in protections to root out these scams is the least we can do to protect our fellow Washingtonians.”
“Washingtonians have had it with the relentless barrage of unsolicited robocalls on our home and cell phones,” said AARP State Director Marguerite Ro. “Scammers often use caller ID spoofing to mask their true location, making it appear that they’re calling from a legitimate or local number to raise the odds that you’ll pick up. A 2019 AARP survey on robocalls showed that 60 percent of Washington adults are more likely to answer if caller ID shows a number with their area code. Whether it’s telemarketing spam from companies you haven’t authorized to contact you, or attempts at outright theft, more must be done to protect Washington consumers from this massive increase in unwanted robocalls.”
The bill strengthens state legal protections against scam robocalls
Currently, no Washington state law explicitly prohibits a company from contacting individuals on the federal Do-Not-Call registry against their will. The Robocall Scam Protection Act will make these calls a violation of the Consumer Protection Act.
This bill will prohibit robocallers from “spoofing” their calls — a technique where scammers use false or deceptive caller identifications. There is currently no specific state law that prohibits the use of “spoofing” for making deceptive calls.
Also, the new law will allow for civil litigation against telecommunications providers of all sizes that knowingly allow illegal robocalls through their networks. Telecommunications providers currently have no incentive to block robocalls under state law.
The bill empowers individuals harmed by this conduct to pursue their own legal action. Potential remedies under the bill include actual damages, injunctions and fines of up to $1,000 per violation. Finally, the bill will also allow the Attorney General’s Office to seek civil penalties under the Consumer Protection Act.
Two other states — Florida and Oklahoma — recently adopted similar protections.
The Act preserves businesses’ ability to use automatic dialers to contact their existing customers and customers who consented to receive the messages.
Further, businesses can also still use automatic dialers to contact customers if they have an established business relationship, as long as the sales message itself is delivered by a live person.
Ferguson’s focus on stopping illegal robocalls
In March, Ferguson launched an initiative to combat robocalls in Washington. The Attorney General’s Office created a new complaint portal for Washingtonians tailored for reporting robocalls. Since its launch, the Attorney General’s Office received approximately 6,500 complaints from Washingtonians about suspected illegal robocalls. The tailored complaint form gives attorneys, investigators and staff more precise information for quicker reactions to robocall complaints.
Additionally, as part of an effort to educate and inform Washingtonians, the Attorney General’s Office published a website with descriptions of robocalls and telemarketing scams, including strategies for combating them.
Ferguson’s recent legal wins against robocallers
In May, as a result of a lawsuit against the company, Global Grid, a Corvallis, Ore.-based company, and its owner shut down its illegal robocalling operation. The company stopped all deceptive marketing practices, including misrepresentations about a product it falsely promised could block robocalls. Global Grid will pay more than $8,000 to the Attorney General’s Office, which Ferguson will deliver to approximately 200 Washingtonians.
In August 2020, a King County Superior Court judge ordered Vancouver, Wash.-based air duct cleaning companies and their owner to pay civil penalties of $10 million in a lawsuit over deceptive advertisements and robocalls. The companies made over 13 million robocalls within Washington from 2017 to 2019, including calling more than 500 individual Washingtonians over 100 times. The judge’s order also permanently barred the companies and owner from making robocalls or deceptively marketing these services in the future.
In March 2021, as a result of a lawsuit brought by Ferguson, the Federal Trade Commission, and 39 other attorneys general, two national companies that made approximately 1.7 million robocalls for sham charities into Washington paid $495,000 to help fund legitimate charities.
What should you do if you receive a robocall?
The best advice for Washingtonians who receive a robocall without their permission is to hang up.
Some robocalls may give you an option to opt out of receiving future calls, but if the caller is a scammer, they are unlikely to honor your request. If you believe a call is a scam, report it to the Attorney General’s Office at https://atg.wa.gov/file-complaint or call toll-free 1-800-551-4636. Washingtonians also can report robocalls to the Federal Trade Commission at https://complaints.donotcall.gov/complaint/complaintcheck.aspx.
Some phone and wireless services offer call blocking or labeling services to help individuals determine whether a call is a telemarketer or a scammer. Consumers should contact their service provider to find out what is available.
IN OTHER STATE NEWS...
AG Ferguson files lawsuit against Seattle-based plastic surgery clinic for bribing, threatening patients to falsely inflate its online ratings--WAAG
Temporary Location of Washington Supreme Court and State Law Library Open to Public January 4--WA COURTS
Stretch it out: The squat lobster finds strength in flexibility
Eyes Under Puget Sound – Critter of the Month--DOE
(2) NEWS FROM OUR CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION TO DC:
Cantwell Statement on Southwest Airlines Flight Cancellations
LINK SOURCE: Sen. Cantwell's office
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, released the following statement regarding Southwest Airlines’ cancellation of thousands of flights:
“The problems at Southwest Airlines over the last several days go beyond weather. The Committee will be looking into the causes of these disruptions and its impact to consumers. Many airlines fail to adequately communicate with consumers during flight cancellations. Consumers deserve strong protections, including an updated consumer refund rule.”
In November, Chair Cantwell and Sens. Ed Markey and Richard Blumenthal filed a comment on the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) proposed rule on airline ticket refunds, urging DOT to strengthen and expeditiously finalize the proposed rule to ensure that consumers are fairly compensated when an airline cancels or significantly delays their flight – including secondary costs incurred from hotels, meals and transportation in the event of a cancellation or significant delay due to a problem within the airline’s control.
(3) WORLD & NATIONAL NEWS:
WORLD NEWS
With 100 Million People Worldwide Fleeing War, Natural Disasters, Poverty in 2022, Peace Needed Now ‘More Than Ever’, Secretary-General Urges in New Year’s Message--UN PRESS RELEASE
Following is the text of United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres’ New Year’s video message 2023:
Every New Year is a moment of rebirth. We sweep out the ashes of the old year and prepare for a brighter day.
In 2022, millions of people around the world literally swept out ashes. From Ukraine to Afghanistan to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and beyond, people left the ruins of their homes and lives in search of something better. Around the world, 100 million people were on the move, fleeing wars, wildfires, droughts, poverty and hunger.
In 2023, we need peace, now more than ever. Peace with one another, through dialogue to end conflict. Peace with nature and our climate, to build a more sustainable world. Peace in the home, so women and girls can live in dignity and safety. Peace on the streets and in our communities, with the full protection of all human rights. Peace in our places of worship, with respect for each other’s beliefs. And peace online, free from hate speech and abuse.
In 2023, let’s put peace at the heart of our words and actions. Together, let’s make 2023 a year when peace is restored to our lives, our homes and our world.
In other world news headlines...
‘Unfathomable restrictions’ on women’s rights risk destabilizing Afghanistan; Security Council voices deep alarm--UN NEWS CENTER
The UN rights chief, Volker Türk, called on Tuesday for the Taliban de facto authorities to revoke immediately a raft of policies that target the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan, saying that they cause “terrible, cascading effects” on their lives and risk destabilizing the nation.
Statement by Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield on Russia’s use of Weapons Illegally Acquired from the DPRK and Iran in its Brutal War Against Ukraine.--USUN
Four Year Anniversary of Paul Whelan’s Wrongful Detention in Russia--US STATE DEPT.
Today marks four years that Paul Whelan has spent wrongfully detained, away from his family, suffering through an unfathomable ordeal. Russian authorities subjected him to a secret trial and sentenced him to 16 years in a Russian penal colony based on secret evidence. His detention remains unacceptable, and we continue to press for his immediate release at every opportunity. I am committed to bringing home Paul and all U.S. hostages and wrongful detainees held around the world. As the President said directly to the Whelan family, our efforts to secure Paul’s release will not cease until he is back home with his family where he belongs.
Coast Guardsmen Swap Uniforms for Swimsuits in the Pacific--DOD
NATIONAL:
President Biden Signs legislation that codifies and expands DHS fight against human trafficking--DHS
WASHINGTON – On December 27, 2022, President Biden signed the “Countering Human Trafficking Act of 2022,” which codifies and expands the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Center for Countering Human Trafficking (CCHT). The bill authorizes $14 million to carry out the Act and ensures that the CCHT is staffed with at least 45 employees to carry out the Department’s critical work to combat human trafficking.
“This is a seminal moment in our fight against the scourge of human trafficking,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas. “With the increased funding and additional personnel dedicated to our leading DHS Center for Countering Human Trafficking, we will advance our work to identify and support victims, conduct operations that hold the traffickers accountable, and strengthen our partnerships with non-governmental organizations. We are grateful for this critical legislation that supports our victim-centered, all-of-society efforts to end human trafficking.”
“The Countering Human Trafficking Act will increase and expand the CCHT’s effectiveness in targeting human traffickers around the globe, protecting victims, and supporting counter-trafficking work throughout DHS,” said Cardell T. Morant, CCHT Director. “Importantly, it will also facilitate the continued development of the Blue Campaign, the Department’s national human trafficking awareness initiative, designed to educate the American public about the signs of trafficking and the ways in which they can help trafficking victims and help bring suspected traffickers to justice. We are grateful to Congressional leadership and our partners for recognizing the value in this DHS center.”
“This is a significant milestone in the continued growth and advancement of the CCHT mission,” said Steve Francis, Acting Executive Associate Director for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). “The signing of this legislation marks an important day that institutionalizes the DHS counter-trafficking mission, including victim identification and screening, victim protection and assistance, investigations and enforcement, and training, outreach, and engagement. I would like to highlight the importance of our partnerships with non-government organizations and their critical role in HSI’s victim-centered approach to human trafficking investigations.”
The mission of the CCHT is to advance counter human trafficking law enforcement operations, protect victims, and enhance prevention efforts by aligning DHS’s capabilities and expertise. CCHT is a DHS-wide effort led by HSI and comprising 16 supporting DHS offices and agencies. It is the first unified, inter-component coordination center for countering human trafficking and the importation of goods produced with forced labor.
CCHT leverages subject matter experts to drive criminal investigations of forced labor and sex trafficking, seeks improvements to the delivery of victim protections including through DHS policies and protocols, and increases victim identification through training and public awareness. During FY2022, CCHT hosted the first ever quarterly webinars for the law enforcement community to raise awareness of a temporary immigration designation for victims of trafficking in persons, improved victim screening tools, and delivered training through 53 events to nearly 6,000 participants – double the number of participants from the prior year.
Additionally, this past fiscal year the CCHT provided direct support – including financial, intelligence, and subject matter expertise – to criminal investigations focused on disrupting and dismantling transnational human trafficking organizations and identifying and investigating companies and individuals benefiting from forced labor abroad. In FY22, the work of the CCHT helped secure more than 3,600 arrests and 600 convictions. This represents an increase of more than 50 percent in human trafficking arrests and an increase of more than 75 percent in human trafficking-related convictions over the previous fiscal year.
At the Summit of the Americas in June, twenty countries signed the U.S.-led Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection, which included a commitment to collaborate on saving lives, and combating migrant smuggling and criminal human trafficking organizations as well as their facilitators and money laundering networks. The CCHT will continue to build on the momentum and collaboration that started at the Summit.
More National news...
CDC Announces Negative COVID-19 Test Requirement from Air Passengers Entering the United States from the People’s Republic of China--CDC
EPA enters into Consent Agreement and Issues Final Order to Denka Performance Elastomer in LaPlace, La., for Violation of Hazardous Waste Regulations--EPA
FBI Atlanta Announces $10K Reward for Information About Ebenezer Baptist Church Vandalism--FBI
(4) BUSINESS HEADLINES
Owner of Farm Labor Company Sentenced to 118 Months in Prison for Leading a Multi-State Conspiracy Involving Forced Labor of Mexican Farm Workers
Bladimir Moreno, 55, was sentenced for leading a federal racketeering and forced labor conspiracy that victimized Mexican H-2A agricultural workers in the United States between 2015 and 2017. U.S. District Court Judge Charlene Edward Honeywell of the Middle District of Florida sentenced Moreno to 118 months in prison with three years of supervised release and ordered him to pay over $175,000 in restitution to the victims.
Moreno, the owner of Los Villatoros Harvesting LLC (LVH), the labor contracting company that employed the workers, was charged in September 2021 and pleaded guilty earlier this year to conspiracy under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) and conspiracy to commit forced labor. Two of Moreno’s co-defendants previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy under RICO, and a third, Guadalupe Mendes, 45, pleaded guilty to conspiring to obstruct a federal investigation. They were sentenced in October 2022. Rodas, a citizen of Mexico, who worked for LVH as a recruiter, manager and supervisor, received 41 months in prison. Gamez, a U.S. citizen, who worked for LVH as a bookkeeper, manager and supervisor, received 37 months in prison. Mendes, a U.S. citizen, who worked for LVH as a manager and supervisor, received eight months of home detention and a $5,500 fine to be paid over 24 months of supervised release.
“Human trafficking, including forced labor campaigns that exploit vulnerable workers, is unlawful, immoral and inhumane,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This defendant abused his power as a business owner to capitalize on the victims’ vulnerabilities and immigration status, luring those seeking a better quality of life with false promises of lawful work paying a fair wage. The defendant forced Mexican agricultural workers to labor under inhumane conditions, confiscated their passports, imposed exorbitant fees and debts, and threatened them with deportation or false arrest. The Department of Justice is committed to seeking justice for survivors of forced labor campaigns, holding perpetrators accountable and stripping wrongdoers of their illegal profits.”
“Forcing individuals to work against their will using abusive and coercive tactics is not only unconscionable but illegal,” said U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg for the Middle District of Florida. “We will continue to work with our task force partners to combat human trafficking in all its forms, including prosecuting those who exploit vulnerable workers.”
According to court documents, Moreno owned, operated and managed LVH — a farm labor contracting company that brought large numbers of temporary, seasonal Mexican workers into the United States on H-2A agricultural visas — as a criminal enterprise. Moreno compelled victims to work in Florida, Kentucky, Indiana, Georgia and North Carolina, and he engaged in a pattern of other racketeering activity that included visa fraud and fraud in foreign labor contracting, among other things. In order to facilitate the enterprise, Moreno made false statements in applications to federal agencies for the company to be granted temporary, H-2A agricultural workers. Moreno and his co-conspirators also made false promises to the Mexican farm workers themselves to encourage them to work for LVH and then charged them inflated sums to come into the United States on H-2A visas.
Once the immigrants arrived in the United States, Moreno and his co-conspirators coerced over a dozen of them into providing long hours of physically demanding agricultural labor, six to seven days a week, for de minimis pay. Moreno and his co-conspirators used various forms of coercion, including imposing debts on the workers; confiscating their passports; subjecting them to crowded, unsanitary and degrading living conditions; harboring them in the United States after their visas had expired; and threatening them with arrest and deportation if they failed to comply with Moreno’s and his co-conspirators’ demands. Later, in an attempt to conceal the criminal enterprise from federal investigators, Moreno created and provided to investigators fraudulent records that contained falsified information about the workers’ pay and hours, and repeatedly made false statements to federal investigators.
Assistant Attorney General Clarke, U.S. Attorney Handberg and Acting Special Agent in Charge DeWitt announced the sentence.
The Palm Beach County Human Trafficking Task Force, which includes the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations and the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. The Task Force received assistance from the Department of Labor Office of the Inspector General, the Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division, the Department of State Diplomatic Security Service, the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, Colorado Legal Services Migrant Farm Worker Division, Legal Aid Services of Oregon Farmworker Program and Indiana Legal Services Worker Rights and Protection Project.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ilyssa Spergel for the Middle District of Florida and Trial Attorneys Avner Shapiro, Maryam Zhuravitsky and Matthew Thiman of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.
Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org. Information on the Department of Justice’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.
IN OTHER BUSINESS NEWS...
Justice Department Files Nationwide Lawsuit Against AmerisourceBergen Corp. and Subsidiaries for Controlled Substances Act Violations--DOJ
Treasury Releases Additional Information on Clean Vehicle Provisions of Inflation Reduction Act--US TREASURY DEPT.
IRS issues standard mileage rates for 2023; business use increases 3 cents per mile--IRS
What to Expect for the Economy in 2023
The end of 2022 is shaping up to be strong, with fourth quarter growth projected to be over 2%. Here's what the Chamber's Chief Economists Committee predicts for the economic outlook in 2023.--US CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
(5) LOCAL MEETINGS
CLALLAM COUNTY
Clallam County work session or 1/3/23
Clallam County Commission meeting for 1/3/23
https://www.clallamcountywa.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_01032023-515
City of Port Angeles Council meeting for 1/3/23
https://www.cityofpa.us/DocumentCenter/View/12560/01032023-Agenda
Housing solutions meeting for 1/6/23
https://www.clallamcountywa.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_01062023-513
JEFFERSON COUNTY
Jefferson Commission meeting for 1/3/23
https://media.avcaptureall.cloud/meeting/b40a82dd-51c7-4bce-83eb-626ce82689d4
PORT TOWNSEND CITY COUNCIL BUSINESS MEETING AGENDA FOR 1/3/23
https://cityofpt.granicus.com/GeneratedAgendaViewer.php?view_id=4&event_id=3104
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| HAPPY 2023! READERS FROM THE PORT ANGELES GLOBE! THIS YEAR LET US ALL STRIVE TO BETTER OURSELVES! BY READING AND STUDYING THE BIBLE! |
