FTC will collect $7.7 M from violators of Do Not Call list

The Federal Trade Commission is continuing to crack down on companies and individuals accused of violating the Do Not Call Registry, which totals 145 million entries to date.

Last week, there were six settlements totaling $7.7 million in civil penalties along with an additional filed complaint with the district court.

Companies named in the settlements involved Craftmatic, Ameriquest, Global Mortgage Funding, ADT and two of its dealers, and Guardian Communications and its affiliates.

In addition to money collected, the FTC, through the US Department of Justice, has taken legal action to prohibit defendants from committing future DNC violations.

More than $16 million has been collected, in addition to $8 million for consumer restitution or disgorgement of ill-gotten gains, through DNC legislation since its establishment in 2003.

The FTC recently announced plans to forgo the five-year renewal requirement, keeping numbers on the DNC list permanently, pending final Congressional and agency action.