Phone Companies Can Block ‘One-Ring’ Scams, FCC Says

Phone companies can legally block robocalls from numbers associated with so-called “one-ring” scams, the Federal Communications Commission said in an order released Monday.

The action, required under the Pallone-Thune Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence Act of 2019, clarifies that phone carriers can block suspected “one-ring” schemes without fear of liability.

Under the “one-ring” scheme, foreign scammers call consumers and hang up before the call can be answered. Consumers who call back incur toll charges, a portion of which the scammer receives. The scammers spoof the phone number to make it appear domestic.