Robocall Scam Impersonating Walmart Hits Millions; FCC Orders Provider to Shut It Down

A large robocall scam used AI voices impersonating Walmart employees to push a fake PlayStation 5 purchase alert, hitting an estimated 8 million calls, and the FCC has now ordered the originating provider, SK Teleco, to shut down this traffic or risk being blocked from U.S. networks. The scam is designed to steal sensitive personal information such as Social Security numbers and other identifying data.​

What the scam looks like

The calls use an artificial voice introducing itself as “Emma” or “Carl” “from Walmart,” claiming a preauthorized PlayStation 5 and headset charge of about 919 dollars on the target’s Walmart account. Victims are told to “press 1” or call back to cancel, which connects them to live scammers posing as support agents.​

Once connected, the scammers request highly sensitive details, including full name, address, and sometimes Social Security number or banking information, under the pretense of verifying identity or reversing the charge. The operation follows a classic “refund scam” playbook, using urgency and fear of a large fraudulent purchase to pressure people into sharing data.​

FCC enforcement action

The FCC’s Enforcement Bureau sent a cease‑and‑desist order on December 2 to SK Teleco, identified as the originating voice service provider for this traffic. Investigators traced at least 29 sample robocalls and nearly 8 million attempted calls in this campaign back to SK Teleco, and the company allegedly ignored earlier warnings.​

SK Teleco has been given a short deadline (about 48 hours to mitigate and roughly two weeks to prevent future similar traffic) or U.S. carriers may be ordered to block all of its calls, effectively cutting it off from the U.S. communications network. The FCC also reiterates that robocalls with artificial or prerecorded voices to cell phones generally require prior consent and that providers are legally obligated to police illegal traffic on their networks.​

How to protect yourself

If you receive an unexpected call about a large Walmart purchase, do not press any keys or stay on the line; instead, hang up and check your Walmart account or payment card directly through official apps or website links. Legitimate companies will not cancel orders or request full Social Security numbers or banking details over an unsolicited robocall.​

General best practices include not answering unknown numbers when possible, never sharing sensitive data with callers who reach out to you, and using call‑blocking tools or your carrier’s spam‑filtering features. Consumers can also file complaints about unwanted or suspicious robocalls with the FCC and ask their phone provider about additional blocking options.​