AG Henry Announces Settlement with Energy Company for Allegedly Unlawful Telemarketing

August 5, 2024 | Topic: Consumers

HARRISBURGAttorney General Michelle Henry announced a settlement with Titan Gas, LLC, regarding the Texas-based company’s alleged violations of a previous settlement that prohibited contact with Pennsylvanians on the ‘Do-Not-Call’ registry.

Since the Office of Attorney General’s initial settlement with the company in 2019, 2.7 million telemarketing calls have been made to Pennsylvanians, according to the recent settlement. The Office of Attorney General contended that these contacts involved the use of deceptive and unlawful lead generation practices, luring consumers into giving their supposed “consent” to receive calls.

In this recent action, Titan Gas (which does business as CleanSky Energy) will pay $160,000 in civil penalties and $35,000 in costs, and provide the Commonwealth with a written report outlining their compliance with the original settlement and consumer protection laws.

“This company knew better than to telemarket to consumers who are on the ‘Do-Not-Call list,’ and my office will not tolerate disregard of Pennsylvanians who explicitly request privacy,” Attorney General Henry said. “This settlement holds Titan accountable for their violations and puts other telemarketers on notice.”

Under the terms of the recent Consent Order, a portion of the civil penalties will be distributed as remittance to consumers who submitted complaints about Titan’s allegedly unlawful calls.

Pennsylvanians who do not wish to receive telemarketing solicitation calls should register their phone numbers on the Bureau of Consumer Protection’s Do-Not-Call List on the Office of Attorney General’s website, as well as the Federal Trade Commission’s National Do Not Call Registry at donotcall.gov.

Pennsylvania consumers are further advised to always check the fine print before providing their contact information online. You may be placing yourself on a list to be called by hundreds, if not thousands, of telemarketers, whose names are hidden behind a small hyperlink.

The Joint Stipulated Motion was filed in the Dauphin County Court of Common Pleas by Deputy Attorney General Mark Wolfe, and the Consent Order will become effective upon approval by the Court.

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