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Arizona, other agencies crack down on illegal robocalls

Posted 6/25/19

Authorities are cracking down hard on illegal robocalls, leading to nearly 100 actions against operations across the nation.

On Tuesday, the Federal Trade Commission, the Arizona Attorney …

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Arizona, other agencies crack down on illegal robocalls

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Authorities are cracking down hard on illegal robocalls, leading to nearly 100 actions against operations across the nation.

On Tuesday, the Federal Trade Commission, the Arizona Attorney General’s Office, and other law enforcement partners, announced a major crackdown on illegal robocalls, including 94 different actions targeting operations around the U.S. that are responsible for more than 1 billion calls pitching a variety of products and services, including credit card interest rate reduction services, money-making opportunities, and medical alert systems.

“Telemarketing and phone scams are the most common complaints to our office,” Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich stated. “From going after bad actors that purposely violate the Do Not Call Registry, to being on the executive committee of a bipartisan group of 40 state attorneys general fighting robocalls, our team is working daily to combat this epidemic. But we’ve got so much work left to do.”

The joint crackdown, “Operation Call it Quits,” is part of the FTC’s ongoing effort to help stem the tide of universally loathed pre-recorded telemarketing calls. It also includes new information to help educate consumers about illegal robocalls.

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“Operation Call it Quits” includes four new cases — First Choice Horizon LLC; 8 Figure Dream Life-style; Media Mix 365, LLC; and Derek Jason Bartoli — and three new settlements — Lifewatch, Inc.; Red-wood Scientific; and Life Management Services — from the FTC.

The defendants in those cases were responsible for making more than 1 billion illegal robocalls to U.S. consumers. In addition to the FTC’s actions, 25 federal, state, and local agencies have brought 87 enforcement actions as part of the initiative.

Among the “Operation Call it Quits” cases, the Arizona Attorney General’s Office previously filed a Do Not Call and Consumer Fraud lawsuit against Sun City-based Bright & Shiny Cleaning Company and its owner Donald Burkhardt in late 2018. The lawsuit alleged Bright & Shiny called tens of thousands of Arizonans listed on the federal Do Not Call Registry. Bright & Shiny repeatedly called consumers who asked the company to stop calling, and used a deceptive scheme to gain access to consumers’ homes and subject them to high-pressure sales presentations for Kirby vacuums.

Arizona is seeking consumer restitution and fines for calls Bright & Shiny made to a consumer on the federal Do Not Call Registry, and for violations of the Arizona Consumer Fraud Act.

Since 2017, the Arizona Attorney General’s Office has obtained numerous Do Not Call judgments, including a $1 million civil penalty against Adobe Carpet Cleaning, a $340,000 civil penalty against Desert Valley Aire, and a $150,000 civil penalty against Orangutan Home Services.

Other state partners that announced enforcement actions today include the Attorney General Offices for Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Virginia; the Consumer Protection Divisions of the District Attorneys for the Counties of Los Angeles, San Diego, Riverside, and Santa Clara, California; the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services; and the Los Angeles City Attorney.

The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Northern District of Georgia, Middle District of Florida, and Southern District of Texas, with support from the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, have contributed five criminal actions.

The FTC’s one-stop-shop for consumers looking for information on what to do about robocalls and other unwanted calls can be found at ftc.gov/calls. Consumers will also find three new short videos about stopping unwanted calls. Consumers can also find additional information on ways to limit illegal robocalls here.

“We’re all fed up with the tens of billions of illegal robocalls we get every year,” stated Andrew Smith, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “Today’s joint effort shows that combatting this scourge remains a top priority for law enforcement agencies around the nation.”

If you believe you have been a victim of an illegal robocall, call the Arizona Attorney General’s Office in Phoenix at 602-542-5763, in Tucson at 520-628-6648, or outside the metro areas at 800-352-8431. Bilingual consumer protection staff is available to assist.

Consumers can also file complaints online. Consumers can find more tips on how to protect themselves against phone scams here.