The Federal Communications Commission has proposed a massive $300 million fine for those behind the annoying auto warranty robocalls that have plagued Americans since at least 2018.
According to the FCC, multiple entities between Panama, Hungary, and the United States helped fuel the scam, including ringleaders Roy Cox, Jr. and Michael Aaron Jones. Together, the U.S. nationals push the scheme internationally. Under previous U.S. regulations, both have been prohibited from making telemarketing calls.
If you have a cell phone, then you’ve likely received one of these deceptive calls telling you that your vehicle warranty is about to expire or needs to be reinstated. While most people hang up on these automated calls, those who were tricked into speaking with a “warranty specialist” were often sold vehicle service contracts that they didn’t need. Many of these contracts were virtually worthless and didn’t cover car repairs.
In July 2022, the FCC asked carriers to block the robocalls. By November, they’d drastically decreased. Still, the agency says this is the largest robocall operation ever investigated, discovering over 5.2 billion calls were placed between January and March 2021. Around 550 million wireless and residential phone numbers were bombarded with the hassling calls. Sumco Panama, run by Jones and Cox Jr., is just one of the multiple companies involved in the complaint.
A formal notice will go out in the upcoming days, with those behind the calls having 30 days to respond.
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