ST PAUL, Minn. — Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison is joining 48 other states and the District of Columbia in suing a telecommunications company accused of making billions of illegal robocalls.
Ellison's office announced Tuesday that Minnesota is part of a multistate lawsuit against Avid Telecom, its owner Michael Lansky and vice president Stacey S. Reeves for allegedly violating several federal telemarketing and law consumer laws, including the Telephone Consumer Protection Act and the Telemarketing Sales Rule.
“Everybody hates robocalls — and everybody gets them, including me. Minnesotans file more complaints about robocalls with our office than about any other single problem — but because it’s hard for states acting alone to make a dent in them, I joined this bipartisan, nationwide task force so we can tackle this scourge together,” said Ellison in a press release. “This lawsuit is our first and it won’t be our last. Together, we’re taking the fight directly to anyone in the telecom industry who helps robocallers and scammers perpetrate their fraud on the public.”
The lawsuit claims Avid Telecom sent or transmitted more than 7.5 billion calls to numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry, including more than 14,000 Minnesotans.
Ellison's lawsuit also claims Avid Telecom allegedly sent or transmitted scam calls about the Social Security Administration, Medicare, Amazon and DirecTV as well as auto warranties, employment and credit card interest rate reductions.
“Contrary to the allegations in the complaint, Avid Telecom operates in a manner that is compliant with all applicable state and federal laws and regulations,” said Neil Ende, the company’s outside legal counsel. “The company has never been found by any court or regulatory authority to have transmitted unlawful traffic and it is prepared to meet with the attorneys general, as it has on many occasions in the past, to further demonstrate its good faith and lawful conduct.
“In this context, the company is disappointed that the attorneys’ general chose not to communicate their concerns directly before filing the lawsuit," Ende added. “While the company always prefers to work with regulators and law enforcement to address issues of concern, as necessary, the company will defend itself vigorously and vindicate its rights and reputation through the legal process.”
According to a statement from Ellison's office, most of the calls originated overseas. To listen to examples of the robocalls in question click here and here.
Ellison is urging Minnesotans who receive robocalls or may have been a victim to scammers to file a complaint with his office by phone — 651-296-3353 locally, 800-657-3787 Greater Minnesota — or online. The AG also provided tips for anyone receiving these calls:
- Immediately hang up and don't provide any personal information
- Be wary of callers who specifically ask you to pay by git card, wire transfer or cryptocurrency.
- Look out for prerecorded calls from imposters posing as government agencies.
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