SENIORS TARGETED BY ROBOCALL SCHEME

SENIORS TARGETED BY ROBOCALL SCHEME

Senior citizens were the target of an Orlando-based fraud scheme.  The marketer deceived seniors by falsely claiming that family members or friends purchased a medical alert device for them.  The fraud scheme also told senior citizens that the medical alert device was recommended by the American Heart Association, the American Diabetes Association and the National Institute on Aging.

The seniors were led to believe that they would only be responsible for paying the monthly monitoring fees after the device was activated.  The first call to the fraud victims was a recorded message stating if the consumer pressed “1”, they would be connected to a live person who would take the payment information.

According to the FTC, the company received over $13 million dollars in commissions from this fraudulent scheme. To read the full story, click here.

The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) provides rights and remedies for consumers. The TCPA prohibits marketing telephone calls to using an artificial or prerecorded voice to deliver a message without the prior express consent of the called party. 47 U.S.C. § 227 (b)(1)(B).

If you have received one of these pre-recorded calls, also referred to as “robocalls”, then you may be entitled to money damages under federal law.  The federal law provides for statutory damages, including $500 for each violation and $1500 per call for willful violations.  See 47 U.S.C. § 227 (b)(3)(B-C). To read the full TCPA, click here.

For more information about consumer rights under federal law and a free case review, contact us 24/7 at 1-800-263-9091.