New actions target those who distributed or facilitated billions of illegal calls
HARRISBURG — Attorney General Michelle Henry, along with the Federal Trade Commission and other law enforcement partners nationwide, announced a new crackdown on illegal telemarketing targeting operations responsible for billions of calls to U.S. consumers.
The joint state and federal “Operation Stop Spam Calls” initiative builds on the efforts of Pennsylvania and other state and federal partners to combat the scourge of illegal telemarketing, including robocalls.
This initiative targets telemarketers and the companies that hire them, as well as lead generators who deceptively collect and provide consumers’ telephone numbers to robocallers and others, falsely representing that these consumers have consented to receive calls.
It also targets Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service providers who facilitate tens of billions of illegal robocalls every year, which often originate overseas.
“These unwanted calls and contacts are constant, invasive nuisances that continue to plague Pennsylvanians and millions of consumers across the country,” Attorney General Henry said. “My office has made it a priority to put a stop to telemarketers who break the law, and this unified, nationwide initiative will greatly strengthen our position.”
As part of Operation Stop Spam Calls, Pennsylvania announced seven actions.
- Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. PalmCo Energy PA, LLC, et al. – Assurance of Voluntary Compliance (“AVC”) filed 6/30/2022, in Allegheny Co.;
- Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Fluent, Inc., et al. – Complaint filed 11/2/2022, Consent Petition filed 5/18/2023, in U.S. District Court for Western District of Pennsylvania;
- Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. American Automotive Alliance, LLC – AVC filed 5/17/2023, in Erie Co.;
- Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, et al. v. Michael D. Lansky, LLC d/b/a Avid Telecom, et al. – Complaint filed 5/23/2023, in U.S. District Court for Arizona;
- Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. AGR Group Nevada, LLC, et al. – AVC filed 6/1/2023, in Allegheny Co.;
- Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Mammoth Marketing Group, LLC – AVC filed 6/2/2023, in Westmoreland Co.; and
- Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. AM Protection, Inc., et al. – AVC filed 6/6/2023, in Allegheny Co.
Pennsylvania OAG’s actions build on the work of its state and federal partners including the FTC, which announced five new cases against companies and individuals responsible for distributing or assisting in the distribution of billions of illegal telemarketing calls to consumers nationwide.
“Today, government agencies at all levels are united in fighting the scourge of illegal telemarketing. 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,” said Samuel Levine, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, who appeared at a news conference in Chicago announcing the initiative. “The FTC and its law enforcement partners will not rest in the fight against illegal telemarketing.”
Other contributing law enforcers include the Federal Communications Commission, Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the U.S. Department of Justice.
In addition to the law enforcement actions announced today, the FTC has a variety of materials aimed at helping consumers block unwanted telemarketing calls. This includes advice related to robocalls and other unwanted calls and information on how to spot and avoid phone scams at ftc.gov/calls, which is also available in Spanish at ftc.gov/llamadas.
The FTC also has a new educational webpage at ftc.gov/RobocallScams that includes examples of real illegal robocalls and steps people can take to avoid robocall scams.
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