The Defense Credit Union Council (DCUC) has joined a broad coalition of leading financial trade associations and consumer protection organizations in filing a joint letter with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regarding its obligations under the Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence (TRACED) Act.
The coalition includes ACA International; America’s Credit Unions; American Bankers Association; American Financial Services Association; Bank Policy Institute; Defense Credit Union Council; Independent Community Bankers of America; Mortgage Bankers Association; National Council of Higher Education Resources; Student Loan Servicing Alliance; and National Consumer Law Center. The joint filing urged the FCC to strengthen its evaluation and oversight of the STIR/SHAKEN call authentication framework as part of its upcoming three-year report to Congress.
Despite years of implementation, the coalition’s letter notes that STIR/SHAKEN has not significantly reduced fraudulent calls. Consumer losses from phone-based scams exceeded $12.5 billion in 2024, and robocall volumes reached nearly 5 billion calls in April 2025 alone. The coalition stressed that the FCC’s current evaluation—focused primarily on technical authentication—must also measure actual reductions in illegal robocalls, an area where progress remains minimal. The coalition recommends several improvements, including:
- Setting a firm deadline for transitioning all providers from legacy TDM networks to IP- based networks
- Stronger enforcement against improper call attestations and tighter controls in the Robocall Mitigation Database
- Clearer Know-Your-Customer standards to prevent fraudulent traffic from entering networks
- Expanding caller authentication tools, such as branded calling and Rich Call Data (RCD)
- Removing exemptions that allow providers to avoid compliance
- Strengthening the Secure Telephone Identity Governance Authority (STI-GA) withexpanded transparency and additional board representation
“These steps are critical to restoring trust in the nation’s communications system and achieving the TRACED Act’s goals,” the letter states.
“Illegal robocalls aren’t just an annoyance. They are a direct threat to members, especially military families who are already navigating unique financial challenges,” says Anthony Hernandez, DCUC President/CEO. “Credit unions depend on a trustworthy phone system to communicate clearly and safely with the people we serve. DCUC is committed to ensuring credit unions—and their members—are protected through strong, sensible policy reform.”
“This coalition is calling for meaningful improvements to the framework, not just technical compliance,” adds Jason Stverak, DCUC Chief Advocacy Officer. “Enhancing enforcement, improving authentication tools, and eliminating outdated exemptions will go a long way in reducing illegal robocalls and strengthening trust in our communications systems.”
The full joint filing is available here.