FCC closing loophole that gave robocallers easy access to US phone numbers

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In one of its many attempts to curb robocalls, the Federal Communications Commission said it is making it harder for Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) providers to obtain direct access to US telephone numbers.

Robocallers make heavy use of VoIP providers to bombard US residents with junk calls, often from spoofed phone numbers. Under the rules in place for most of the past decade, VoIP providers could easily gain access to US phone numbers.

"This VoIP technology can allow bad actors to make spoofed robocalls with minimal technical experience and cost," the FCC said.