A federal court imposed a heavy $9.9 million penalty on a robocall scammer responsible for thousands of illegal “spoofed” calls.
The scammer used caller ID manipulation to trick victims into answering calls with inflammatory, harmful content.
The FCC’s investigations traced the calls back to Scott Rhodes. The Justice Department pursued an injunction and a hefty fine, sending a strong signal against illegal robocall activities.
“The department is committed to protecting consumers from deceptive robocalls,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We are very pleased by the court’s judgment, and we will continue working with the FCC and other agency partners to vigorously enforce the telemarketing laws that prohibit these practices.”
“Virtually every Montanan has been the subject of unwanted and harassing robocalls, and the person responsible for such calls usually escapes accountability,” said U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich for the District of Montana. “But not this time. In placing thousands of harassing and malicious spoofing calls to consumers across the country, Rhodes showed a blatant disregard to caller ID and telephone consumer protection laws designed to prevent this sort of conduct. I applaud the court’s injunction and nearly $10 million forfeiture penalty that hold Rhodes accountable. These results send the clear message that the Justice Department is determined to protect consumers.”
