Task Force Launches Enforcement Actions Against Alleged Illegal Robocallers

An anti-robocall task force comprised of 51 different attorneys general has initiated an enforcement action against two telecom companies that have not responded to civil investigative demands seeking answers about their operation. Petitions have been filed in Indiana state court to compel the participation of the companies, including answering interrogatories and producing call data records that detail the volume and content of call traffic that the companies are transmitting to consumers.

The task force send CIDs to 20 different companies in August. Only two — Michael Lansky LLC, which is doing business as Avid Telecom, and One Eye LLC, have stopped responding. The chief executive of One Eye is an individual named Prince Anand, who previously closed another telecom company, PZ Telecommunications. The transition occurred after the Federal Communications Commission sent PZ Telecommunications a cease-and-desist letter.

Avid is believed to have knowingly accepted and routed illegal robocalls, and Lansky is believed to have helped another telecom company hide suspect traffic.

“These two companies represent what is wrong with the industry,” said Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita said, in a statement. “More reputable and civic-minded organizations are always eager to cooperate with authorities to protect consumers.”

Avid is accused of routing 46 million telephone calls to phone numbers in Indiana alone, 17 million of which are on the federal Do Not Call Registry and 8 million that are on Indiana’s Do Not Call list.

The petitions include transcripts of conversations between Lansky and Anand with John Spiller, who was part of a group in which the FCC issued its largest fine ever — $225 million against telemarketers who made more than 1 billion robocalls falsely claiming to sell health insurance.