HARRISBURG – Attorney General Michelle Henry announced a settlement with a Colorado-based lead generator for selling Pennsylvanians information to telemarketing companies.
Shopgala, LLC, which also operates as Surveys2cash, obtained the consumer information from those who registered to receive allegedly free samples or payment for completing online surveys. Those promotional offers did not include clear disclosures to consumers that their information could be sold to telemarketers, according to the Commonwealth’s investigation.
The settlement permanently enjoins Shopgala from selling or sharing consumer data, unless the consumer data was acquired in accordance with the requirements set forth under the Federal Telemarketing Sales Rule.
Do Not Call means just that, and my office will continue to do all we can to aggressively target those who illegally and carelessly cross those boundaries, Attorney General Henry said. Thousands of consumers registering for free samples had no idea they were also signing on for invasive and disruptive telemarketing calls.
The settlement also requires Shopgala to pay $25,000 to the Office of Attorney General to be used for public protection and educational purposes.
The settlement was filed in the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas by Senior Deputy Attorney General Amy L. Schulman of the Pittsburgh Regional Office.
If you are on the Pennsylvania Do-Not-Call List and you receive unwanted and unsolicited calls from telemarketers, you should file a complaint by visiting wwww.attorneygeneral.gov or contact the Office of Attorney General Bureau of Consumer Protection at 800-441-2555 or scams@attorneygeneral.gov.
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