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Washington state lawmakers pass bill strengthening protections against robocalls, phone scams

No state law currently explicitly prohibits people from using a fake caller ID or companies from calling residents on the federal Do Not Call Registry.

OLYMPIA, Wash. — The Washington state Legislature passed a bill Wednesday that strengthens protections against illegal robocalls and phone scams.

House Bill 1051, also known as the Robocall Scam Protection Act, would make it illegal to disguise a caller's identity by using a fake caller ID and would make it a violation for phone providers to knowingly enable illegal robocalls. It also prohibits calls to residents on the federal Do Not Call Registry.

No Washington state law currently explicitly prohibits companies from calling residents on the federal Do Not Call Registry.

According to TruCaller survey data, an estimated 1.1 million Washington state residents lost money to robocall scams in 2022 — an increase of 265,000 from the previous year. Nationally, an estimated $39.5 billion was lost to scam calls in 2022, according to TruCaller.

“We all know someone who has been harmed by one of these scams,” Rep. Mari Leavitt, D-University Place, said. “We have the technology to prevent these fraudulent robocalls and we should use it.”

The bill was introduced by Attorney General Bob Ferguson and Rep. Leavitt as part of Ferguson's anti-robocalling initiative.

“The Legislature has given Washingtonians stronger and clearer legal protections against the daily bombardment of illegal robocalls,” Ferguson said. “This law delivers my office additional tools to hold illegal robocallers accountable.”

Last year, Ferguson launched the initiative to better protect residents from illegal robocalls. The Attorney General’s Office created a complaint portal for residents and a new website to educate residents on potential robocall scam strategies.

The legislation passed the state Senate with a unanimous vote Wednesday and passed the state House with a unanimous vote in February. It now heads to the governor's desk where it's expected to be signed into law.

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