Last month, the FCC proposed a new set of rules designed to combat nuisance bottext scams. Those rules are now official: Not only will carriers be required to block messages that are likely to be illegal, but the new order also takes the first steps to close a loophole that allows fraudsters to circumvent Do Not Call Registry protections.
Specifically, the rule targets text messages that come from numbers “unlikely to transmit text messages,” citing unassigned, unused, or invalid numbers, as well as numbers for government agencies and other “known entities” that They don’t text. Messages The order also hopes to close the “lead generator loophole,” which allows companies to interpret a consumer’s “consent” to a call as permission for other marketers to add them to a robocall list.
The announcement highlights that while these types of bottexts already fall under the Phone Consumer Protection Act, the new rules will give carriers more tools to help them actively block scammers. Still, the best way to avoid being scammed is to protect yourself.
