Attorney General Aaron M. Frey Partners with Law Enforcers Nationwide to Announce Enforcement Sweep to Stem the Tide of Illegal Telemarketing Calls to U.S. Consumers

July 18, 2023

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Contact: Danna Hayes 

Danna.hayes@maine.gov

 

 

 

Attorney General Aaron M. Frey Partners with Law Enforcers Nationwide to Announce Enforcement Sweep to Stem the Tide of Illegal Telemarketing Calls to U.S. Consumers

 

New actions target those who distributed or facilitated billions of illegal calls

 

 

AUGUSTA – Maine, the Federal Trade Commission, and other law enforcement partners nationwide including attorneys general from all 50 states and the District of Columbia, 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 Scam Calls” initiative builds on the efforts of Maine 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 calls are one of the key ways for scammers to get financial and personal information from unsuspecting victims,” said Attorney General Frey. “My office hears from Mainers every day who have been victimized by these calls. I’m grateful for our partnerships across the country to prioritize this important matter.”

 

“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.”

 

As part of Operation Stop Scam Calls, Attorney General Frey initiated legal action against Avid Telecom in May. 

 

Maine’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. 

Other contributing law enforcers include the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Department of Justice, and the Federal Communications Commission.

 

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. 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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