RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Attorney General Jeff Jackson is escalating the fight against illegal robocalls with the launch of the second phase of "Operation Robocall Roundup."
This bipartisan, multistate initiative targets four of the largest voice providers in the country, urging them to stop transmitting suspected robocalls across their networks.
The first phase of the operation focused on dismantling "middlemen" companies responsible for passing robocalls along the chain. Phase two aims to address the broader issue by pressuring major providers to take action.
"People think of robocalls as annoying, and they are, but what they really are is criminal," said Jackson. "These are criminal organizations targeting mainly elderly people to steal their money. The scale of the abuse is tremendous-200 million robocalls a month just into North Carolina."
Jackson urges anyone who receives a robocall to hang up immediately and report it to the Department of Justice.