State Moves To Crack Down On Robocalls

CHICAGO (CBS) -- The State of Illinois is moving to get a handle on so-called "robocalls" that may interrupt so-many of our evening and daytime hours at home, reports WBBM Political Editor Craig Dellimore.

Governor Quinn signed a new law that requires phones that use automated dialers for commercial purposes to keep records of all the calls they make and justify those made to numbers on the "Do not call" registry.

Attorney General Lisa Madigan is asking four leading phone companies to help combat robocalls by scammers.

"Attorney General Madigan is asking companies to act essentially to reduce the number o fraudulent robocalls that Illinois residents receive. These are fraudulent calls that really have only one goal which is to obtain personal financial information from the person on the other end of the call," said Maura Possley, a spokewoman for Attorney General Madigan.

Many of those calls originate overseas and Madigan wants them blocked or filtered.