A group of state attorneys general in the United States has taken legal action against a telecommunications firm accused of carrying out more than 7.5 billion illegal robocalls to individuals on the national Do Not Call Registry. The lawsuit, spanning 141 pages, has been filed in the U.S. District Court in Phoenix and specifically targets Avid Telecom, along with its owner, Michael D. Lansky, and the company’s vice president, Stacey S. Reeves. The primary aim of the lawsuit is to obtain a jury trial to determine the extent of the damages.

This lawsuit stems from the Anti-Robocall Multistate Litigation Task Force, an initiative formed by 51 attorneys general and the District of Columbia to investigate and pursue legal measures against telecommunications companies involved in facilitating a substantial volume of robocall traffic.

Kris Mayes, the Attorney General of Arizona, disclosed that nearly 197 million robocalls were directed at Arizona phone numbers between December 2018 and January 2023. Mayes underscored that these incessant and unwelcome robocalls not only cause harassment and annoyance for consumers but also employ scare tactics, including threats of lawsuits and arrests, to coerce individuals, particularly vulnerable individuals like senior citizens, into parting with their hard-earned money. Many of these robocalls are fraudulent in nature and encompass scams related to entities such as the Social Security Administration, Medicare, Amazon, DirecTV, in addition to false offers pertaining to auto warranties, employment, and credit card interest rate reductions.

The lawsuit alleges that Avid Telecom engaged in the use of spoofed or invalid caller ID numbers, including over 8.4 million calls falsely portraying their origin as government and law enforcement agencies, as well as private companies.

Letitia James, the Attorney General of New York, expressed frustration, noting that fraudulent robocalls have become an exasperating issue for Americans, resulting in substantial financial losses for seniors and vulnerable consumers.

As per the lawsuit, both Lansky and Reeves stand accused of violating federal and state telemarketing and consumer laws, which include the Telephone Consumer Protection Act and the Telemarketing Sales Rule.

Neil Ende, an external legal counsel representing Avid Telecom, refuted the allegations, stating that the company operates in compliance with applicable state and federal laws and regulations. Ende emphasized that no court or regulatory authority has ever found the company guilty of transmitting illegal traffic. He expressed disappointment with the attorneys general for opting to file the lawsuit without engaging in direct communication with the company, underscoring Avid Telecom’s willingness to demonstrate its lawful conduct and good faith by meeting with the attorneys general, as it has done in the past. Nevertheless, the company intends to vigorously defend itself, safeguarding its rights and reputation through the legal process if necessary.

Robocalls have emerged as a significant concern, especially during recent elections. In the 2020 election, voters across the country received anonymous robocalls advising them to “stay safe and stay home” in the lead-up to Election Day. Two conservative individuals were convicted of fraud for orchestrating over 85,000 robocalls to Black voters in five states. These calls disseminated false information, warning that providing information on mail-in ballots could result in arrest, debt collection, or mandatory vaccination. As part of their sentence, they were mandated to spend 500 hours assisting with voter registration in low-income neighborhoods of Washington, D.C.