Federal authorities are trying to crack down on five US telecom companies who they say are helping flood Americans’ phones with robocalls from overseas. Prosecutors on Tuesday filed for restraining orders in Brooklyn federal court against three companies controlled by Long Island resident Jon Kahen and two companies owned and operated by Nicholas and Natasha Palumbo of Scottsdale, Arizona. A Department of Justice official told reporters the companies act as a “bridge” for calls from fraudsters working in foreign call centers, which are located mostly in India. Officials are asking the court to block the firms from carrying the predatory calls. In just one 23-day sample period, the Palumbos’ companies allegedly carried 720 million calls, 425 million of which lasted less than one second — which the feds say is a sign they were robocalls that didn’t connect or were immediately hung up on. The robocallers’ schemes include posing as immigration authorities and employees from the Social Security Administration or the Internal Revenue Service — then claiming people’s Social Security numbers have been wrapped up in a crime or that they are facing deportation unless they fork over cash, court docs say. The SSA imposter scam is the most prevalent fraudulent robocall, the feds allege. The Federal Trade Commission estimated that the scheme was responsible for $11.5 million in losses to victims last year. “Robocalls are an annoyance to many Americans, and those that are fraudulent and predatory are a serious problem, often causing devastating financial harm to the elderly and vulnerable members of our society,” Assistant Attorney General Jody Hunt said. Kahen and the Palumbos did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
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