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FTC Targets Group That Made Billions of Robocalls

Posted by samzenpus on from the don't-call-me-bro dept.

coondoggie writes Given the amount of time the FTC and others have put into curing the robocall problem, it is disheartening to hear that a group of companies for almost a year have been making billions of illegal robocalls. The Federal Trade Commission and 10 state attorneys general today said they have settled charges against a Florida-based cruise line company and seven other companies that averaged 12 million to 15 million illegal sales calls a day between October 2011 through July 2012, according to the joint complaint filed by the FTC and the states.

6 of 97 comments (clear)

  1. And was it really a punishment? by SeaFox · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Unless they settled to the tune of tens of billions of dollars, I don't see how we're going to make any progress on this.

    1. Re:And was it really a punishment? by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Honestly, if we are stuck with the NSA amassing a database of all the phone calls, ever, anywhere; and a policy of using CIA killer robots on people who annoy us; I'd be a great deal happier if we at least got some visible benefit from the whole mess by using these assets to locate and terminate telemarketers. They have to stick out like a sore thumb in call traffic analysis, and I'm pretty sure that 'the corporate veil' is not rated to withstand most contemporary munitions.

    2. Re:And was it really a punishment? by Black+Parrot · · Score: 5, Funny

      I was hoping "settled" meant they agreed to hangings rather than impalings.

      --
      Sheesh, evil *and* a jerk. -- Jade
  2. Re: Have Settled Charges? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    However as is typical in these cases, while the settlement imposes a civil penalty of $7.73 million against CCL, it will be partially suspended after CCL pays only $500,000. Other companies involved such as Linked Service Solutions got a $5 million civil penalty but will only be required to pay $25,000.

    Why does government even pretend to work for us?

  3. Set up a premium number by mlkj · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Like this fine man did.
    Then enjoy not hearing whatever they try to sell you over the sound of billing them 10p a minute.

    1. Re:Set up a premium number by DoofusOfDeath · · Score: 5, Funny

      I pick up spam calls only when I'm overseas.

      "Nej, det är lite för dyrt till mig just nu... Så jag önskar dig Gott Kineskiskt Nytt År från Guangzhou och en jättebra kväll! Tack för att du spelar!"

      What if they can't speak Spanish?