FTC Targets RoboCalls
The FTC said Tuesday that it has filed suit against three firms for allegedly making "hundreds of thousands or even millions" of robocalls to consumers in violation of the Do Not Call rule and other laws. The three groups targeted allegedly called consumers in a bid to sell "worthless credit-card interest-rate reduction programs for hefty up-front fees of as much as $1,495," the agency said in a statement. The groups have been ordered to stop making the calls pending trial.
Since Sept 1, nearly all robocalls are illegal, unless the recipients have provided written authorization to receive such calls. The FTC alleged that the three firms - Economic Relief Technologies LLC, Dynamic Financial Group (U.S.A.) Inc., and JPM Accelerated Services and related defendants - also violated the FTC Act and the agency's telemarketing sales rule with their "deceptive pitches." Other charges allege the firms called consumers whose phone numbers are listed on the federal Do Not Call Registry and masked their caller identification information.
The FTC on Tuesday also announced the release of its National Do Not Call Registry Data Book for fiscal year 2009. The book contains information about the registry including a breakdown of consumer complaints about those who violated the Do Not Call rule. According to the new book, more than 191 million numbers are listed in the Do Not Call Registry. Click here for more information about the data book and the complaints filed against the three firms.
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