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Attorney General Josh Stein Reaches $210 Million Settlement with Dish Network Over Illegal Telemarking Calls

For Immediate Release:
Monday, December 7, 2020

Contact:
Laura Brewer (919) 716-6484

$14 Million Penalty in North Carolina is Largest Ever for Do-Not-Call Violations

(RALEIGH) Attorney General Josh Stein reached a $210 million settlement with Dish Network for engaging in illegal nationwide telemarking in violation of do-not-call laws. North Carolina will receive $13,986,000, the largest penalty ever obtained in the state over do-not-call violations. Most of the funds will go to North Carolina’s public schools.

“Companies cannot use aggressive tactics to take people’s hard-earned money,” said Attorney General Josh Stein. “That’s why do-not-call and telemarketing protections exist, and I’ll continue fighting to hold companies and bad actors accountable when they violate these protections and go after North Carolinians.”

Stein added, “This pandemic has underscored the importance of addressing the gaps in broadband access. There are children across our state who are doing their virtual learning classes from library parking lots and other unacceptable situations. I urge the legislature to consider ways to use these funds to address broadband access in North Carolina. Education is the best way to invest in our children’s futures and to level the playing field – access to reliable internet is imperative to students’ success.”

Today’s settlement comes after a federal appeals court upheld a trial court judgment holding Dish accountable for making millions of unwanted calls to people on the Do Not Call Registry and tens of millions of illegal robocalls, both directly and through its authorized direct marketing businesses. The settlement also requires Dish to reform its telemarketing practices.

Attorney General Stein is joined in the settlement by the Attorneys General of California, Illinois, and Ohio, as well as the Federal Trade Commission.

North Carolinians can report robocalls or illegal telemarketing calls online at www.ncdoj.gov/norobo or through our dedicated robo-report hotline at 1-844-8-NO-ROBO.

More on Attorney General Stein’s work to confront robocalls.

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