The attorney general of Ohio has announced the creation of a Robocall Enforcement Unit within the state’s Consumer Protection Section, as well as the launch of a tool aimed at making it easier for individuals to report robocalls to the state.
Dave Yost, the attorney general of Ohio, made the announcement during a news conference early this week. In conjunction with the news, a state Senator in Ohio is proposing legislation that would give the attorney general more authority in going after illegal robocallers.
State Sen. Dave Burke has unveiled legislation, Senate Bill 145, that aims to stiffen the penalties for robocall perpetrators.
Yost said during the news conference that he wants Ohio to be known as the most aggressive state in the nation aimed at combating illegal robocalls.
The Robocall Enforcement Unit will be staffed by two lawyers and an investigator. Hopefully, that will be enough to address all the complaints that are likely to be filed. In New York, for example, an audit found that the state investigated less than 10% of the robocall complaints it received from residents of the state.
Along with creating the Robocall Enforcement Unit, Yost also announced that individuals will be able to text “ROBO” to 888111 and will be prompted with a number of questions to lodge a complaint about a robocall.
“Our goal is to make it so hard for robocallers to operate in Ohio that they don’t even bother trying,” Yost said at the news conference, according to a published report
