The Federal Trade Commission has partnered with federal and state law enforcement agencies and all 50 states' attorneys general, in 180 enforcement actions targeting illegal telemarketing calls. "Operation Stop Scam Calls" is part of the FTC's efforts to fight illegal telemarketing responsible for billions of calls to U.S. consumers.
“Today, government agencies at all levels are united in fighting the scourge of illegal telemarketing," Samuel Levine, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, said in a July 18 news release. "We are taking action against those who trick people into phony consent to receive these calls and those who make it easy and cheap to place these calls."
“The FTC and its law enforcement partners will not rest in the fight against illegal telemarketing,” Levine said.
The multi-agency operation focuses on telemarketers and telemarketing companies, lead generators who deceptively collect consumers' phone numbers and give them to robocallers while falsely claiming the consumers have consented to marketing calls, and Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service providers that enable illegal robocalls, which often originate overseas.
The FTC's Operation Stop Scam Calls, which includes contributions from 48 federal and 54 state agencies, aims to sever illegal robocallers' connections to consumers while strengthening consumer protections, the release reports.
Several companies are facing legal action as part of Operation Stop Scam Calls, the release states.
Fluent LLC, a New York City-based consent farm lead generator, "tricked consumers into consenting to receive marketing solicitations including telemarketing calls," according to the release. Fluent will be required to pay a $2.5 million civil penalty and be banned from engaging in, assisting, or facilitating robocalls, among other restrictions, under a proposed order, the release reports.
California-based Viceroy Media Solutions LLC, doing business as quick-jobs.com, and Voltron Interactive, and sole owners Sunil Kanda and Quynh Tran, allegedly tricked visitors to quick-jobs.com and localjobindex.com into giving their contact information in order to get local job listings, according to the release. However, the information was actually collected as "leads" and included consumers' consent to receive telemarketing robocalls. The FTC's proposed settlement bans the defendants from assisting in robocalling and levies a $913,636 penalty which is partially suspended due to the companies' inability to pay, the release reports.
Palm Harbor, Fla.-based Yodel Technologies LLC and owner Robert Pulsipher are charged with violating the DNC Registry by calling millions of consumers without their consent. The proposed order would ban Yodel and Pulsipher from participating in telemarketing and imposes a $1 million civil penalty, to be partially suspended after they pay $400,000, according to the release.
New Jersey-based Vision Solar LLC; Solar Xchange LLC, dba as Energy Exchange and owner Mark Getts are accused of making illegal telemarketing calls for solar-panel company Vision Solar, placing "tens of millions of calls" to individuals on the DNC registry, the release reports. The proposed settlement would prohibit Getts and Solar Xchange from misrepresenting themselves, making false costs claims, engaging in "abusive telemarketing practices," and imposes a $13.8 million partially suspended penalty, according to the release.
Miami, Fla.-based Hello Hello Miami (HHM) and owner Luis E. Leon Amaris assisted and facilitated approximately 37.8 million illegal robocalls by operating a VoIP "gateway" to more than 11 foreign telemarketers into the U.S, the FTC complaint alleges. The overseas robocallers "bombarded" U.S. consumers with tens of millions of illegal calls impersonating Amazon.com, according to the complaint, which is seeking to permanently ban HHM and Amaris as well as monetary relief for defrauded individuals and in civil penalties.
The FTC's efforts against illegal robocalls and Do Not Call (DNC) list violations have resulted in 167 cases and court-ordered payments of more than $2 billion, according to the release.
