States Suing Telecom Company for Allegedly Making More Than 7 Billion Robocalls

A telecommunications company accused of making more than a whopping 7.5 billion robocalls to people on the national Do Not Call Registry is facing a lawsuit filed by attorneys general across the U.S.

Yes, more than 7.5 billion robocalls, the suit alleges.

The suit was filed in U.S. District Court in Phoenix against Avid Telecom, its owner Michael D. Lansky and vice president Stacey S. Reeves. It was 141 pages in all.

Of the Avid Telecom robocalls in question, close to 197 million were made to Arizona phone numbers between December 2018 and January 2023, Arizona attorney general Kris Mayes said.

“Every day, countless Arizona consumers are harassed and annoyed by a relentless barrage of unwanted robocalls — and in some instances these illegal calls threaten consumers with lawsuits and arrest,” Mayes said in a statement. “More disturbingly, many of these calls are scams designed to pressure frightened consumers, often senior citizens, into handing over their hard-earned money.”

Robocalling and Phone Spam Explained

Invalid caller ID numbers that were designed to look like they were coming from the government or law enforcement agencies were used in more than 8 million of the calls, the suit says. Private companies were also allegedly used as a front for the calls.

“Americans are sick and tired of their phones ringing off the hook with fraudulent robocalls,” New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement. “Seniors and vulnerable consumers have been scammed out of millions because of these illegal robocalls.”

Avid Telecom has denied the accusations in a statement of its own.

“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. 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.”

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