CUB Releases New Edition Of Its Guide On Combatting Robocalls

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Feb 26, 2020, 11:26 ET

CHICAGO, Feb. 26, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Citizens Utility Board (CUB) has released an updated version of its "Guide to Fighting Robocalls" to help Illinois consumers reduce the nuisance calls.

Visit CitizensUtilityBoard.org to get a free copy of the 7-page publication, which includes simple tips to reducing the calls.

Robocalls are prerecorded messages from computer-generated dialers. Technology allows scam artists to cheaply and easily make thousands of calls a minute—and the calls have reached an alarming level. Consumers received 4.7 billion robocalls in January, according to YouMail, a developer of robocall-blocking software. The U.S. received over 58.5 billion robocalls throughout 2019.

In response to the growing number of spam calls and corresponding consumer frustrations, lawmakers in Washington passed the nation's toughest anti-robocall legislation, the TRACED Act, in January. The act requires all service providers to offer robocall-blocking services at no additional cost to consumers. That's good news in Illinois, which last year was the target of 2.1 billion robocalls.

While the TRACED Act gets the ball moving, it isn't likely to completely halt the deluge of calls that at best annoy us and at worst take advantage of vulnerable consumers. That's where CUB's guide comes in.

"We know that Illinois consumers—and even CUB staffers—are exasperated by bothersome robocalls," CUB Executive Director David Kolata said. "This guide gives consumers the tools they need to reduce the frustrating calls and teaches them how to handle the spam and scam calls that do make their way to the phone."

CUB is Illinois' leading nonprofit utility watchdog group. Created by the Illinois Legislature, CUB opened its doors in 1984 to represent the interests of residential and small-business utility customers. Since then, CUB has saved consumers more than $20 billion by helping to block rate hikes and secure refunds. For more information, call CUB's Consumer Hotline at 1-800-669-5556 or visit CUB's award-winning website, www.CitizensUtilityBoard.org.

SOURCE Citizens Utility Board