Last year, Mainers were subjected to 93 million robocalls. That’s an average of 73 calls per person. At a hearing of the Senate Aging Committee, experts warned that number is expected to go up this year.
Maine Sen. Susan Collins, chair of the Senate Aging Committee, says the number of robocalls aimed at Americans is estimated to reach 58 billion this year.
She is pushing legislation aimed at blocking many of the calls from ever getting to your cell or home phone, as part of a comprehensive effort to reduce scams.
"We also need effective enforcement, law enforcement, of those that have ripped off people in this country," she says. "And we also need the educational campaign.”
Collins said the millions of robocalls Mainers were subjected to last year is "astonishing." She says there should be a full court press to reduce the calls and protect consumers from scams.
Originally published 2:38 p.m. July 17, 2019
