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 NEWS  Federal  Communications  Commission  445  12  th  Street,  S.  W.  Washington,  D.  C.  20554  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.  Circ  1974).  News  Media  Information  202  /  418-  0500  Internet:  http://  www.  fcc.  gov  TTY:  1-  888-  835-  5322 
 For  Immediate  Release:  News  Media  Contact:  May  3,  2006  Rosemary  Kimball  at  (202)  418-  0511 
 e-  mail:  rosemary.  kimball@  fcc.  gov 
 FCC  ADDRESSES  ISSUE  OF  INTERNET  TRS  FRAUD  Seeks  Comment  on  Possible  Changes  in  Rules  to  Curtail  Abuses 


 Washington,  DC  --  The  FCC  has  opened  a  proceeding  requesting  comment  on  ways  to  curtail  the  abuse  of  the  two  Internet-  based  forms  of  Telecommunications  Relay  Service  (TRS)  -- 
 Internet  Protocol  (IP)  Relay  Service  and  Video  Relay  Service  (VRS).  Such  misuse,  including,  using  IP  Relay  to  make  telephone  purchases  from  merchants  using  stolen,  fake,  or  otherwise 
 invalid  credit  cards,  or  improperly  using  VRS  as  a  substitute  for  in-  person  interpreters,  results  in  improper  compensation  from  the  Interstate  TRS  Fund. 


 Although  calls  that  reach  relay  centers  via  the  Internet  contain  no  calling  party  number  or  location  information,  TRS  providers  and  their  employees  who  process  IP  Relay  calls  can  often 
 identify  wasteful  calls.  The  Commission  asked  for  comments  on  additional  steps  it  might  take  to  prevent  misuse.  It  also  asked  whether  it  should  adopt  rules  to  guide  the  discretion  of  TRS 
 providers  in  determining  whether  a  call  is  illegitimate. 
 Action  by  the  Commission  May  3,  2006,  by  Further  Notice  of  Proposed  Rulemaking  (FCC  06-  58).  Chairman  Martin,  Commissioners  Copps,  Adelstein  and  Tate. 


 -  FCC  - 
 CG  Docket  No.  03-  123 
 CGB  Contact:  Thomas  Chandler  at  (202)  418-  1475  (voice);  (202)  418-  0597  (TTY). 
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