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Trump Mobile is facing allegations that it has failed to make required federal anti-scam filings, alongside questions about exposed customer information. Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-NH) is demanding that the company explain how it protects customers and prevents scammers from abusing its wireless service.
In her October 8 letter to CEO Patrick O’Brien, Hassan (PDF), the ranking member of Congress’s Joint Economic Committee, says database searches found no robocall-prevention filing under Trump Mobile or its legal name, T1 Mobile LLC. A filing for Liberty Mobile Wireless, which Trump Mobile has identified as its service partner, apparently lacked required information about how it verifies customers.
Those requirements are intended to keep scammers from obtaining phone numbers and using wireless services to send fraudulent calls and texts. The letter also asks whether customers whose information was exposed have been notified and what the company has done to prevent another breach.
Missing filings raise questions about scam prevention
Trump Mobile identifies itself in its customer agreement as a mobile virtual network operator, a company that resells service from larger cellular providers. Hassan says those resellers must register in the FCC’s Robocall Mitigation Database and describe their efforts to prevent illegal robocalls, including their “know your customer” procedures.
According to the letter, searches conducted September 24 found no filings under Trump Mobile or T1 Mobile LLC. Liberty Mobile’s most recent filing appeared to lack a description of its customer-verification procedures.
Hassan points to a potentially serious consequence: federal rules prohibit providers from accepting voice traffic directly from domestic providers that are not registered in the database. Inaccurate or incomplete filings can also lead to penalties and removal from the database.
The letter asks Trump Mobile to supply its filings or explain whether it believes it is exempt or another company fulfills the requirements on its behalf. No FCC enforcement action has been announced.
Hassan also questions Trump Mobile’s authorization to offer international calling. Although the company advertises calls to more than 230 countries and territories, a search did not find the authorization she says is required. She asks the company to identify any authorized underlying provider and document that arrangement.
Customers’ exposed information remains a concern
The letter describes a May incident in which Trump Mobile acknowledged that customer names, email addresses, mailing addresses, and cellphone numbers had been exposed. The company attributed that incident to a third-party provider.
Hassan asks which provider was responsible, whether Trump Mobile still works with it, how many customers were affected, and whether they were notified. She also wants to know which other companies hold Trump Mobile customers’ information.
Separate ransomware groups claimed in September and October to have stolen records associated with thousands of customers. Hassan notes those claims may involve the same underlying breach. Hassan asks Trump Mobile whether it has verified the claims and, if so, whether it notified customers and the appropriate federal agencies.
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