Kentucky joins 48-state effort to crack down on scam calls, texts
FRANKFORT, Ky. (FOX 56) — Attorney General Russell Coleman announced on Friday that Kentucky joined a multi-state coalition to fight scam calls and texts.
According to a July 10 news release, the coalition is asking the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) “to strengthen rules that would cut off scammers’ access to legitimate telephone numbers.”
Officials said scammers typically purchase legitimate phone numbers and use them to scam people over the phone and via text.
Despite the federal government and state attorneys general cracking down on scammers illegally “spoofing” phone numbers to make calls appear legitimate in 2021, Coleman said it remains a problem.
In Kentucky, an estimated 323.4 million robocalls were made between January and June 2026, according to the Robocall Index.
The coalition is asking the federal government to require stronger certification rules for North American companies that purchase and resell phone numbers, prohibit phone number sales to entities that are not connected to a calling or texting service, and limit the availability of trial numbers to discourage scammers from taking advantage of them.
“These con-artists continue to target Kentuckians in hopes of scamming them out of our hard-earned money,” said Attorney General Coleman. “Our Office will continue to collaborate with partners who are dedicated to protecting our people.”
Coleman said Kentucky joined the letter led by the attorneys general of Colorado, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, along with the attorneys general of Alabama, Alaska, American Samoa, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
To view the letter, click here.
