For Immediate Release:
Tuesday, November 1, 2022
Contact: Nazneen Ahmed
919-716-0060
(RALEIGH) Attorney General Josh Stein today announced that the Anti-Robocall Litigation Task Force, which he co-leads, is seeking to enforce formal requests for documents and information issued to two voice service providers about their alleged role in accepting and routing illegal robocalls to people across the country. The providers are Michael Lansky LLC, also known as Avid Telecom, and One Eye LLC.
“People are sick and tired of scam calls and it’s past time to put an end to them,” said Attorney General Josh Stein. “We’re taking action against companies that violate state and federal anti-robocall protections. These two companies have failed to respond to our investigative demands, and we’re alleging that their behavior breaks the law. I’ll continue doing everything in my power to stop these harmful and annoying calls from bombarding North Carolinians.”
The enforcement action against Avid Telecom details several instances in which the company allegedly knowingly accepted and routed illegal robocalls. Further, the Task Force believes Avid Telecom’s CEO, Michael Lansky, helped another telecom provider hide its suspect traffic. The enforcement action against One Eye details how a person named Prince Anand closed another voice service provider, PZ Telecommunication LLC, and became the apparent CEO of One Eye. This transition occurred after the Federal Communications Commission sent PZ Telecom a cease-and-desist letter. Both providers have either stopped answering or refused to answer the Task Force’s CIDs.
Examples of these providers’ scam calls can be heard here, here, and here.
According to the National Consumer Law Center and Electronic Privacy Information Center, more than 33 million scam robocalls are made to Americans every day. These scam calls include fraudsters posing as the Social Security Administration, Amazon, and employers offering work opportunities. Fraudsters stole an estimated $29.8 billion from the American people through scam calls in 2021.
In August, Attorney General Stein and the Attorneys General of Indiana and Ohio formed the nationwide Anti-Robocall Litigation Task Force to investigate and take legal action against the telecommunications companies responsible for bringing a majority of foreign robocalls into the United States. Fifty-one attorneys general participate in the Task Force.
Here are some tips to consider to prevent falling victim to scam callers:
- Be wary of callers who specifically ask you to pay by gift card, wire transfer, or cryptocurrency. For example, the Internal Revenue Service does not accept iTunes gift cards.
- Look out for prerecorded calls from imposters posing as government agencies. Typically, the Social Security Administration and the IRS do not make phone calls to individuals to collect funds.
- If you suspect fraudulent activity, immediately hang up and do not provide any personal information.
- You can report scam calls to the FTC at 1-877-382-4357.
A copy of the petition regarding Avid Telecom is available here.
A copy of the petition regarding One Eye is available here.
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