Congressman Mike Lawler is leading a bipartisan effort to crack down on illegal robocalls, urging the Federal Communications Commission to strengthen regulations aimed at preventing phone scams that cost Americans billions of dollars each year.
Lawler, joined by 18 members of Congress, sent a letter to the FCC supporting its proposed rulemaking, Combatting Illegal Robocalls Through FCC Numbering Policies, which seeks to modernize communications infrastructure and close loopholes that scammers use to carry out fraud schemes.
According to lawmakers, Americans reported approximately $15.9 billion in fraud losses in 2025, the highest amount ever recorded. Victims contacted by phone suffered some of the largest financial losses, highlighting the need for stronger protections against robocall-driven scams.
In the letter, lawmakers praised the FCC’s efforts and called for greater coordination with the U.S. Department of the Treasury and financial regulators, noting that many robocall scams ultimately lead to fraudulent financial transactions. They argued that combining telecommunications oversight with financial fraud detection would improve the government’s ability to identify and stop criminal networks before consumers are harmed.
The lawmakers also warned that advances in artificial intelligence and voice-cloning technology have made scams increasingly sophisticated. They urged the FCC to adopt strict and enforceable rules targeting tactics such as “number cycling,” in which fraudsters rapidly switch phone numbers to evade detection.
“Payment fraud and impersonation scams have become a systemic threat to consumers, small businesses, national security, and the broader economy,” the letter states, emphasizing the need for stronger accountability and oversight to disrupt criminal operations at their source.
The bipartisan letter was signed by 19 members of Congress, including Lawler and representatives from both New York and across the country.
