The Federal Communications Commission wants to crack down on fraudulent robocalls, The Hill reports.
In order to get by existing rules, the harassing calls often disguise the phone numbers they are originating from — an action which is called spoofing. And the Hill noted scammers use spoofing to sometimes pose as government agencies, like the IRS, to trick consumers into giving them money.
The Washington Post reported the FCC has proposed new rules to allow phone companies to target and block robocalls originating from what appear to be fraudulent or unassigned numbers.
The newspaper said the rules could help reduce the roughly 2.4 billion automated calls that go out every month.
"Robocalls are the No. 1 consumer complaint to the FCC from members of the American public," FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said.
Officials estimate more than 1 in 10 adults in the U.S. have fallen victim to phone scams, according to the Post.. But the new rules could be finalized later this year after the FCC gets feedback from the public.
"Americans have run out of patience with robocalls that ring at all hours of the day," said Maureen Mahoney, a policy analyst with the advocacy group Consumers Union. "This proposal is a positive step that will help provide relief from the scourge of unwanted calls."