Ohio has joined the growing list of states that have filed enforcement actions against telemarketers they accuse of violating the national no-call list.
The state yesterday sued Shelterguard, Columbus, OH, a home and business security system provider, according to a statement by the Ohio attorney general’s office. More than 50 Ohio consumers who had registered for the national no-call list filed complaints about Shelterguard calling them from Oct. 17 to Dec. 4, in some cases calling the same consumer more than once, according to the Ohio attorney general’s office.
The state used the Federal Trade Commission’s Sentinel complaint system, as well as its own Consumer Protection Section, to track the complaints. Ohio is seeking fines of up to $25,000 per violation under its own laws as well as federal laws. The suit was filed in U.S. district court in Columbus.
California and North Carolina have also filed lawsuits against telemarketers alleging violations of the national no-call list. The FTC and Federal Communications Commission have not issued complaints under the registry yet, but the FTC has said it would be prepared to begin doing so this month.
