******************************************************** 
                      NOTICE
********************************************************

This document was converted from Microsoft Word.

Content from the original version of the document such as
headers, footers, footnotes, endnotes, graphics, and page numbers
will not show up in this text version.

All text attributes such as bold, italic, underlining, etc. from the
original document will not show up in this text version.

Features of the original document layout such as
columns, tables, line and letter spacing, pagination, and margins
will not be preserved in the text version.

If you need the complete document, download the
Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat version.

*****************************************************************



Media Contact: 
Will Wiquist, (202) 418-0509
will.wiquist@fcc.gov
For Immediate Release
FCC PROPOSES $82 MILLION FINE FOR SPOOFED ROBOCALLS
Health Insurance Telemarketer Made More Than 21 Million Illegally Spoofed Calls
  --
WASHINGTON, August 3, 2017 – The Federal Communications Commission today proposed an
$82,106,000 fine against an individual and his companies which apparently made more than 21 
million illegally spoofed robocalls in violation of the Truth in Caller ID Act.  The law prohibits 
callers from deliberately falsifying caller ID information – a practice called “spoofing” – to 
disguise their identity with the intent to harm, defraud consumers, or wrongfully obtain anything 
of value. 
The FCC found that Best Insurance Contracts and its owner/operator, Mr. Philip Roesel (doing 
business as Wilmington Insurance Quotes) apparently made millions of illegally spoofed 
robocalls consumers around the country.  Mr. Roesel of Wilmington, North Carolina displayed 
inaccurate caller ID information when making robocalls in an effort to sell health insurance, 
which especially targeted vulnerable consumers, including the elderly, the infirm, and low-
income families.
In December 2016, a medical paging provider called Sp?k complained to Commission staff that 
robocalling campaigns were disrupting its network. Using information provided by Sp?k to 
connect these calls to Mr. Roesel, the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau subpoenaed Mr. Roesel’s call 
records from October 2016 through January 2017.  Based on these records, FCC investigators 
verified 82,106 health insurance telemarketing calls made during that time used falsified caller ID 
information.  These calls are the basis for today’s proposed fine.
The Truth in Caller ID Act of 2009 and the Commission’s rules prohibit spoofing with the intent 
to cause harm, defraud, or wrongfully obtain anything of value.  Consumers rely on caller ID 
information to make decisions about what calls to accept, ignore, or block. Accurate caller ID 
information is a vital tool that consumers use to protect their privacy, avoid fraud, and ensure 
peace of mind.  
The FCC’s Enforcement Bureau also issued a citation to Best Insurance Contracts and Mr. 
Roesel, doing business as Wilmington Insurance Quotes, for apparent violations of the Telephone 
Consumer Protection Act’s robocall limits.  Under the Act, the Commission must first provide a 
warning – in the form of a citation – to TCPA violators if the person or entity in question does not 
possess a license or authorization issued by the FCC.  If those violations continue, they may be 
subject to additional fines.
The FCC has focused on malicious caller ID spoofing recently.  Changes in technology have 
made it easier and cheaper for scammers to make robocalls and to manipulate caller ID 
information.  To address this consumer problem, the FCC has focused both on enforcement 
actions like today’s and on pursuing policies to help consumers and their service providers block 
malicious robocalls. 
In recent months, the Commission has taken a number of significant enforcement actions related 
to spoofing and robocalling.  It proposed a $120 million fine against an individual who apparently 
used “neighbor spoofing” while making nearly 100 million robocalls to sell timeshares.  It also 
fined a New Mexico company $2.8 million for providing a robocalling platform which also 
allowed easy caller ID manipulation. 
In separate policy proceedings, the Commission is currently exploring ways to set up a reliable 
system to verify that a phone call is really coming from the phone number that it claims to be.  
The agency is also aiming to help consumers prevent spoofing scams like the famous IRS debt 
scam through a “Do-Not-Originate” list which would help carriers block spoofed calls purporting 
to be from numbers that do not make calls, like specific in-bound-only phone lines used by
entities like the IRS or numbers using non-existent area codes.
Action by the Commission August 3, 2017 by Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture (FCC 
17-107). Chairman Pai and Commissioner Clyburn approving. Commissioner O’Rielly approved 
in part and concurred in part. Chairman Pai and Commissioner Clyburn issuing separate 
statements.  
A copy of today’s proposed fine, formally known as a Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture, 
is available at: https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-17-107A1.pdf
###
Office of Media Relations: (202) 418-0500
ASL Videophone: 1-844-432-2275
TTY: (888) 835-5322
Twitter: @FCC
www.fcc.gov/office-media-relations
This is an unofficial announcement of Commission action.  Release of the full text of a Commission order constitutes 
official action.  See MCI v. FCC, 515 F.2d 385 (D.C. Cir. 1974).