FTC shuts down massive robocall scam

[E-Z-B]

Source: MSNBC

updated 5:19 p.m. ET, Wed., May 20, 2009

-snip-

The FTC sued both the promoter of the phony extended warranties, Transcontinental Warranties, and the company making the robocalls Voice Touch. Both firms are based in Florida.

The sheer volume of these robocalls – tens of millions a week – was staggering. “We think they were just dialing every phone number in the U.S. more or less in order,” says Steve Baker, an attorney for the FTC. They even called Secret Service offices and 911 dispatchers.

“This is the most widespread and blatant Do Not Call violation we’ve ever seen,” Baker says. More than 30,000 people filed complaints with the commission. Since most people never complain – they just hang up the phone – 30,000 complaints is an astounding number.

-snip-

In its lawsuit, the FTC claims that's exactly what Transcontinental Warranty, was trying to do: trick people into buying an expensive service contract with lots of limitations and exclusions.

-snip-

Phone bandits can also use readily available software or the Internet to fool your caller ID. They can make a bogus number appear instead of their true phone number. It’s called “spoofing” and it’s illegal for telemarketers to do. But phone swindlers don’t exactly follow the rules.

-snip-

There were two levels of sales people. The “opener” takes the incoming calls and works from a script to get the basic information about the consumer’s car. It’s the opener’s job to convince the caller to agree to buy a warranty. If he can do that, a more skilled salesperson known as a “closer” would take over.

Israel told investigators a closer could “say whatever was necessary” to get the consumer’s credit card number. That included making callers believe they had called a company that was somehow affiliated with the person’s car manufacturer or dealership. They were not.

-snip-

Working as an opener, Israel handled about 100 calls an hour. He says 99 of them were from people who were extremely frustrated because “despite following the pre-recorded call’s instructions to be removed from the company’s calling list, they still continued to receive calls.”

Openers were not allowed to give callers the company’s name. If they did, they could be fired. “Instead I was told to make up a generic sounding name like ‘Warranty Services,’ or, in keeping with the company’s motto, to simply hang up on such consumers,” Israel explained.

Israel also told the FTC it was regular practice to give callers a fake telephone number so they could not call back.

-snip-


Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30852785/

[Blue_Tires]

1. i've been getting them at work

i still get them, instead of warranties, it's now credit consolidation

[tridim]

2. FTC, please shut down the NRA and Teabagger robo calls next.

Thank you.

[downindixie]

16. Yeah,I got one from the NRA

I complained that I was on the do not call list.She replied that it didn't apply to their calls.So,I said "Get fucked,does that apply" and hung up

[llmart]

35. LOL

I love it. That's the kind of response they'd get from me if they ever called here.

[Xenotime]

44. Aggression is the only thing many gun fundies understand.

That's why they live in fear most of the time.

[Robbien]

3. This warranty robocall scheme has been going on for years

Only when a Senator gets irritated by one of these calls does the FTC shut it down.

[Robb]

4. No kidding. /nt

[progressoid]

10. I wish they would shut down the robo calls from my representative.

But there seems to be a convenient loophole for them. Hmmmm.

[drmeow]

15. See below

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=3887854&mesg_id=3888009

[imdjh]

24. Not to mention the mailings

I figure that between the calendar and the two or three other "official" mailings per year, my congressman is spendingat least $2 per resident of his district for what is nothing more than campaigning on the taxpayer's pocketbook. That's about $400,000,000 per year that the Congress spends on this crap- most of which is a hidden expense to the taxpayer because the postage is "free".

[TimesSquareCowboy]

5. It took them way too long to do this.

I googled the 800 #s I was getting calls from and there were complaints going back months and months.

[Divine Discontent]

32. shows how much of a CANCER there is within our govt - this did take WAYYYYYY too long

been getting these calls for a half year, but I know others have been getting them for a much longer time. This FL company up the road should be held to the fullest extent of the law for what they done - but if we base it on looking forward and not backwards, nothing will happen to them (just like the torture issue - oh wait, different - these are regular citizens - they'll be put in prison possibly)

[Shipwack]

37. The only reason this has stopped is because a person with power was called.

As soon as a mighty senator (Charles Schumer) was inconvenienced, things were made to happen.

Welcome to the plutarchy.

[AngryAmish]

6. I got one yesterday

When I got a live person I tried to turn it into an obscene phone call. I got hung up on.

[Auggie]

7. Jail time should be part of the penalty

[Laelth]

8. Good for the FTC. They have a lot more work to do. n/t

:dem:

-Laelth

[scribble]

25. No. Bad o the FTC.

No. Bad on the FTC. They should have acted literally YEARS ago.

I want to know why they took so long to defend our rights.

sc

[Laelth]

26. Welcome to DU!

Do you think, perhaps, the fact that we had a change in administration allowed the FTC to finally do its job?

:dem:

-Laelth

[derby378]

9. What happened when they called me

I got one of those robo-calls a few months ago and pressed "1" to see who it was that was calling me with these expiration notices - they've been calling my wife, too, despite the fact that she doesn't have a car. Here's the transcript:

{Phone rings}

Telemarketer: Warranty Services, what is the year, make and model of your car?

derby: I'm sorry, who is this?

Telemarketer: Warranty Services.

derby: I'm looking for the full legal name of your company.

Telemarketer: {Audible sigh} The name of our company is Warranty Services. Do you want to renew the warranty on your car or no?

derby: Just checking, thank you. {Disconnects call}

They seemed just a little too evasive and slick for my tastes. That last statement from the telemarketer sounded downright snarky.

I'm such a stinker... :evilgrin:

[Bluzmann57]

30. Here is what happened when they called me once

Them: What is the make and model of your car?
Me: I don't have a car, I have a hovercraft.
Them: What?
Me: Stop calling me, asshole.
Them: I'm calling you again.
Me: I'd like to bend you over and fuck you right in your cute ass.
Them:Click.
I have not recieved any calls since then and now I know I won't get any more.
Incidentally, I'm one of the 30,000 that filed a complaint with the FCC as well as the Iowa AG and the Florida AG.
Yep, it was crude, but they called me, not the other way around. So the hell with them. Throw 'em in jail.

[w4rma]

34. I doubt they have a do not call list somewhere. They're probably just reading down the phonebooks.

Just like the above article said they likely were. So, it's not likely that anything you said to them makes any difference about whether they'll call back again, later.

[pleah]

11. About time. K&R

[Iowa]

12. My worthless US Congressman, Bruce Braley, ignores all pleas to cease robocalls...

While the public's outrage over robocalls grows, Congressmen continue to spam our homes with self-serving robocalls that are nothing but political ads. I continue to receive such calls from Bruce Braley. Twice I have written to him to ask him to cease and requested confirmation. He just ignores it and continues to call. These turds are completely disconnected from the public. They could care less what the people think.

[drmeow]

14. Call him and tell him that

for every political call you get from him, you are going to donate a certain amount to his opponent in his name.

[Iowa]

38. Good idea... I'll try that.

[Coyote_Bandit]

13. Now if only

they would stop the bastards that want to lower my credit card rates......

I have a special voodoo doll for them.

[Submariner]

17. Bush regime deregulation caused this crap

with a very weak Bushco FTC these scammers had a nice run for 8 years. The party is over.

[dorkulon]

27. Actually, it was Reagan that legalized telemarketing. Infomercials too.

Thanks, Gipper!

[madmom]

18. Now if they would do something about the ones from Orlando and Celebration Fla. that

has no one on the line and their voice mail is always full so you can't leave a complaint. I get a call from this number (407-964-1072) at least once a day. I've reported it and so far nothing! I don't answer any more after checking caller ID. I'm about to throw the freaking phone out the window.

[Stargazer09]

19. I've been reporting them to the Do Not Call website daily

Every single time I got one of their calls, I went online and complained. I probably filed 35-40 of those complaints myself!

I was wondering why the calls dropped off so much lately. For a while, I was getting them daily on both my home and cell phones. Some days, I received four phone calls on my home phone line alone. It was disgusting and aggravating.

I'm glad they are putting a stop to those thieves, but it would have been nice if they had caught them earlier. All of those phone calls were making me angry.

[The_Commonist]

20. But... but... but... My car's warranty is about to expire!

Actually, I've never owned a car...

[kerryf]

42. I got loads of phone calls from them

It drove me actually crazy that they were calling, eventually looked them up at callcatalog.com to at least find out who they were. It didn't help a whole lot but still gave me piece of mind.

[JerseygirlCT]

21. Good news! These things have been constant irritants

Now can they shut down the robo calls about my credit card? (Interestingly enough, they never say WHICH card they're referring to...)

[peacebird]

22. I've started getting robocalls about my credit card recently

calls telling me there may be a problem and to please call them back. But I called my CC company just to verify that it was NOT them (it wasn't - no suprise).

This call is on my machine every single day now. And I have been on the do not call list for years. What is the phone number to complain about them to the FTC?

[marybourg]

29. Here:

https://complaints.donotcall.gov/complaint/complaintcheck.aspx?panel=2

I've never gotten a warranty call; I used to get the credit card call, but that stopped a while ago, thanks to the FTC. I complain to the FTC over every violation and even suggested to them that they add a comment box, which they did do, for when you know what list local violators are using - here in AZ the a.c. companies get a uncleaned list from their trade assoc., or when you think they're going to claim an existing business relationship with you - a stock broker once claimed an existing business relationship with me because *she* had sent *me* an invitation to a lunch "seminar"!!

[peacebird]

40. thank you! I have bookmarked the link.

I appreciate your taking the time to respond!
:yourock:

[bigworld]

33. The famous "Rachel, from Card Services" call

I've heard they're also associated with the same company that got busted. Same MO -- get a credit card number at all costs, and harass and curse at folks who try to get their number off their list.

[underpants]

23. Read "How to Rig an Election" by Allen Raymond (busted in the NH phone jamming operation)

just wanted to throw this in here :hi:

[Ken Burch]

28. The thing I never understood is, why did they expect people to call back?

I was getting those calls(it was always just a message, you never spoke to a live person even when you actually answered the call while it was ringing)and I don't even HAVE a car(and the one I had had was from 1990!).

Do we know if anyone was actually stupid enough to call these scammers?

[Bacchus39]

36. it would seem so. this has been going on at least a year

lots of calls to my cell. the "press 2 to not receive more calls" just hangs you up and of course they would call back. haven't got one in a while though. now its the "lower your credit rate" calls.

[Name removed]

31. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[sellitman]

39. ROBO CALLS SHOULD ALL BE ILLEGAL

They are nothing but spam.

I'd like to see a law where they are all outlawed.

[hunter]

41. The magazine subscription scammers should be shut down too.

These are the scammers who get your credit card number and then charge you more for a magazine than the publisher does, for magazines these scammers buy in bulk from illegitimate sources.

And really, just what the hell is it about Florida? How big are these cockroaches that have learned to use telephones?

[hayu_lol]

43. Had a 3 day break from the warranty callers...

but they cranked another one out yesterday--same voice and same script. Someone could make a fortune by making and distributing a gadget that would run a brief blast of high voltage through the phone lines and disable the robocaller equipment.

Over the past 6 months, have been getting between 15 and 20 robocalls a day.