HONOLULU — The state Department of the Attorney General is partnering with the Federal Communications Commission to share resources to investigate spoofing and robocall scams.

“Robocalls are not only annoying and intrusive — they are a tool for scammers to commit serious financial harm,” said First Deputy Attorney General Matt Dvonch, who is serving as acting attorney general while Attorney General Lopez is out of state. “We welcome this new partnership with the FCC to better expand our reach and pool our resources in the fight against robocalls.”

FCC chair Jessica Rosenworcel said state leaders and the FCC share a “common enemy” in scammers who target businesses and consumers.

“My team’s commitment to protecting consumers fits hand-in-glove with state attorneys generals’ ongoing efforts to combat these scams,” she said. “We share a goal — to protect consumers — and, with agreements like this, we can also share the tools needed to achieve it. I thank state leaders for their cooperation and their dedication to enforcing strong consumer protection laws.”

During investigations, both the AG’s office and the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau seek records, talk to witnesses, interview targets, examine consumer complaints and take other steps to build a record against possible bad actors. By sharing information and establishing “cooperation structures,” the AG’s office said partnering with the FCC will provide critical resources for building cases and preventing duplicative efforts in protecting consumers and businesses nationwide.

To date, more than 40 states have established formal working relationships with the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau to support robocall investigations.

Michael Tsai covers local and state politics for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at michael.tsai@charter.com.