Avid Telecom facilitated billions of spam calls, state AGs allege
A telecommunications company accused of facilitating billions of spam calls is facing a lawsuit from nearly every attorney general in the United States. Avid Telecom, a Voice over Internet Protocol provider, reportedly facilitated over 7.5 billion calls to numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry, violating consumer protection and telemarketing laws, according to a complaint filed on Tuesday by 48 states plus the District of Columbia. The AGs allege that Avid facilitated over 24.5 billion calls between December 2018 and January 2023, with over 90% of those calls lasting less than 15 seconds, indicating they were likely robocalls. Avid CEO Michael Lansky and Vice President of Operations and Sales Stacey Reeves were also named as defendants in the lawsuit.
The complaint alleged that Avid would sell phone numbers, data and dialing software that enabled customers to make mass robocalls. Customers could allegedly spoof the area codes of their calls to match those of their recipients, making it more likely they’d pick up. The calls facilitated by Avid allegedly included scams about the Social Security Administration, Medicare, auto warranties, Amazon, credit card interest rate reduction, and more.
The lawsuit is a result of the work of a bipartisan Anti-Robocall Multistate Litigation Task Force, which pursues large-volume robocall cases. A group designated by the Federal Communications Commission to notify providers about suspected illegal robocalls sent at least 329 notifications to Avid about the suspected spam, but they allege Avid ignored the warnings.
In response to the lawsuit, Avid said it operates in compliance with all applicable state and federal laws and regulations and has never been found by any court or regulatory authority to have transmitted unlawful traffic. The company said it is prepared to meet with the Attorneys General to further demonstrate its good faith and lawful conduct, and would defend itself vigorously and vindicate its rights and reputation through the legal process.
FAQs:
1. What is Avid Telecom?
Avid Telecom is a Voice over Internet Protocol provider that allegedly facilitated billions of spam calls.
2. What did Avid Telecom allegedly do wrong?
Avid Telecom allegedly violated consumer protection and telemarketing laws by facilitating over 7.5 billion calls to numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry and enabling customers to make mass robocalls.
3. Who is suing Avid Telecom?
Nearly every attorney general in the United States, representing 48 states plus the District of Columbia, is suing Avid Telecom.
4. Who are the defendants in the lawsuit?
Avid CEO Michael Lansky and Vice President of Operations and Sales Stacey Reeves were also named as defendants in the lawsuit.
5. What is the Anti-Robocall Multistate Litigation Task Force?
The Anti-Robocall Multistate Litigation Task Force is a bipartisan group that pursues large-volume robocall cases.
6. What did the group designated by the Federal Communications Commission allege in their notifications to Avid?
The group designated by the Federal Communications Commission alleged that Avid was facilitating suspected illegal robocalls and sent at least 329 notifications to Avid about the suspected spam.
State AGs claim Avid Telecom enabled billions of spam calls.
A company accused of facilitating billions of spam calls is facing a lawsuit filed by attorney generals from nearly every state, according to a complaint filed on Tuesday. Avid Telecom, which provides Voice over Internet Protocol services, is accused of enabling more than 7.5 billion calls to phone numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry, in violation of consumer protection and telemarketing laws. The complaint, filed by AGs from 48 states and the District of Columbia, alleges that Avid facilitated over 24.5 billion calls between December 2018 and January 2023, with over 90% of those calls lasting less than 15 seconds, indicating they were likely robocalls. The AGs also named two Avid executives, CEO Michael Lansky and Vice President Stacey Reeves, as defendants. Avid allegedly provided customers with phone numbers, data, and dialing software to make mass robocalls, including the use of local area codes to increase the probability of the recipient answering. The calls allegedly promoted scams involving the Social Security Administration, Medicare, auto warranties, Amazon, and more. The lawsuit is the result of the work of an Anti-Robocall Multistate Litigation Task Force. Avid Telecom maintains that it operates in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.