Officials from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, which enforces the Florida Do Not Call program, have identified companies responsible for automated calls being made to Florida residents, reports the Sun Sentinel. The officials have referred their case to state lawyers for potential fines and injunctions against further calls.
Terry McElroy, spokesperson for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, told the Sun Sentinel there are four businesses believed to be behind the calls, and that all are involved in heating and cooling services.
McElroy said he could not provide the names of the companies because the department has not yet filed suit against them.
According to the Sentinel,
McElroy said he thought the department’s attorneys would decide within one month whether to file lawsuits.
Such lawsuits typically seek a fine up to $10,000 for each unsolicited phone call the state can prove was made to a number on its no-call list, plus an injunction against future violations.
The telemarketing campaign features a prerecorded message which asks homeowners to press “1″ if they want a free energy audit done on their home. This typically leads to asking the homeowner to purchase something in order to save energy.
The message also tells the receiver of the call to press “2″ to be removed from the calling campaign, but allegedly, pressing “2″ does nothing.
