Concerns Over Cybersecurity as Walmart Customers Targeted in Major Scam

The Federal Communications Commission is taking significant action against SK Teleco, a U.S.-based voice service provider, following a major scam targeting Walmart customers. According to the Harrisburg Patriot-News, the FCC's Enforcement Bureau sent a cease-and-desist letter to SK Teleco after discovering it was the source of robocalls impersonating Walmart employees.

These calls, made by artificial voices named Emma and Carl, falsely claim that a high-value order has been charged to the recipient's Walmart account, specifically mentioning a PlayStation 5 special edition console bundled with a Pulse 3D headset priced at $919.45.

Callers are prompted to press one to cancel the transaction or speak with customer service, leading to live scammers who solicit personal information under the guise of verifying or refunding the purchase.

Investigators traced 29 sample calls directly to SK Teleco's network, revealing an extensive campaign believed to have delivered nearly 8 million illegal robocalls nationwide between January 21 and April 11 of this year.

The FCC emphasized that federal law prohibits the delivery of artificial voice messages to cell phones without prior consent. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr stated that scammers using phone networks to defraud consumers is illegal, and voice service providers must take responsibility.

Despite multiple notifications from the Industry Traceback Group regarding the illicit activity, SK Teleco failed to respond or take action, prompting the FCC to issue an ultimatum. SK Teleco now has two days to prove it has halted the current scam and two weeks to implement permanent safeguards, or it will face a national blocking mandate that would isolate it from the U.S. communications grid.