Washington (CNN) The Justice Department on Tuesday asked a federal judge to shut down a scheme involving companies in New York and Arizona that connect hundreds of millions of robocalls across the country each month. In two first-of-their-kind filings, federal prosecutors in Brooklyn requested temporary restraining orders against five companies and three individuals who allegedly bridged spam calls -- most of which originated from India -- into the American telecommunications system. Hundreds of millions of dollars have been bilked from unsuspecting Americans as a result. "These landmark filings are the first ever of their kind reflecting the department's commitment to use every available tool to stop fraud." Judge Brian Cogan on Tuesday issued a temporary restraining order against a Long Island man and his three companies, ordering them to immediately stop transmitting the robocall traffic, which was referred to as a wire fraud.

Source: CNN January 28, 2020 23:15 UTC