FCC Fines Robocaller a Record $300 Million After Blocking Billions of Their Scam Calls (techcrunch.com) 64
The FCC's robocaller penalties are growing as the agency tracks down and terminates their operations -- this time resulting in a record $300 million forfeiture. From a report: But whether and when that money will be paid is, as always, something of an open question. The robocaller in this case was known by a variety of names and had been scamming people since 2018, as the FCC announcement explains: "This enterprise operated a complex scheme designed to facilitate the sale of vehicle service contracts under the false and misleading claim of selling auto warranties. Two of the central players of the operation, Roy M. Cox and Aaron Michael Jones, were under lifetime bans against making telemarketing calls following lawsuits by the Federal Trade Commission and State of Texas. The multi-national enterprise did business as Sumco Panama, Virtual Telecom, Davis Telecom, Geist Telecom, Fugle Telecom, Tech Direct, Mobi Telecom, and Posting Express."
Jail (Score:5, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2)
True enough, but gotta start somewhere. Actually catching who's doing it is good news.
Re: (Score:2)
You should watch some of the state hearings by the Telecoms about this issue.
If the complete slimy, weasely and condescending bullshit the telecom's rep. present to lie and evade answering any questions doesn't infuriate you, the complete stupidity and inability to understand the situation by the state reps will.
Re:Jail (Score:4, Funny)
They need to be making 13 cents an hour making license plates.
As a long time Democrat and Biden supporter I find this reprehensible. Anyone who works should be given a living wage of $22/hr especially those who are socio-economically disadvantaged by society.
You're forgetting that the people in question here are getting free (for them anyway) room, board, food, clothing, soap, and all the stabbings and sex they can't run away from, etc... I mean, really, $0.13/h seems like a bonus. :-)
Re: (Score:2)
They need to be making 13 cents an hour making license plates.
As a long time Democrat and Biden supporter I find this reprehensible. Anyone who works should be given a living wage of $22/hr especially those who are socio-economically disadvantaged by society.
You're forgetting that the people in question here are getting free (for them anyway) room, board, food, clothing, soap, and all the stabbings and sex they can't run away from, etc... I mean, really, $0.13/h seems like a bonus. :-)
Sounds like a deal, is there a place I can sign up?
Re: (Score:2)
Just walk into your average courthouse with a gun or such, they'll get you set right up.
Re: (Score:2)
You seem to be missing that a wage is a rate. The minimum wage is the lowest amount that should be paid _per hour_. If minimum wage is $1 or $1,000,000 you get paid the same if you work 0 hours.
Re: (Score:2)
Re:Jail (Score:5, Interesting)
After watching the scam baiter videos on Youtube for a while, that is the conclusion that I'm coming too. Most of these scam calls come from overseas, India, China, and Vietnam. On watching the videos you learn that the local police do know about the issue getting them to act on it is something akin to pulling teeth. As in they don't give a fuck.
I think to be really effective you need to go after the infrastructure that supports them. The places that give them VOIP calling that lets them hide their location. The software supporters, team desk, that lets them log in to people desktops, and the most importantly, the payment systems that let them get away with it.
Re: (Score:3)
I am amazed that it takes government action before telephone companies start block known fake numbers. Most of the spam calls I get are from my own area code, because it entices the recipient to pick it up. I once got a call from my own number! My mom continually sees her area code and thinks it might be legit, or she'll say "I didn't answer that call because it wasn't my area code" which implies that she's still mistakenly assuming that the phone numbers are accurate (despite countless explanations that
Re: (Score:2)
Money talks.
The telephone companies get paid to carry the (spam) calls. They will not stop until we fine them for the (spam) calls that they deliver.
The phone companies say that it is not feasible to prevent the spam calls because [reasons]. Once it starts costing them money to deliver unwanted calls they will very quickly implement methods that prevent spam calls.
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:1)
Re: Jail (Score:2)
I'd be fine with sending them to jail for one minute for every minute wasted on a call with a five minute minimum per call. (And one hour of jail for every $10 they can't repay to their scam targets.) All of that x20 for punitive damages. So.... life.
We've been trying to reach you... (Score:4, Funny)
Wait, so my 30 year old vehicle DOESN'T have an extended warranty after all? Well, shit...
Re: We've been trying to reach you... (Score:2)
It had a warranty from factory. The scam call is that your car's warranty has expired.
Re: (Score:2)
When I have time to waste, I've always ask them the make and year of my car. After all, they called me, they should know.
Re: (Score:2)
My brother screwed with one of them - they didn't even know his name.
Me, if I have time, I'll screw with them as well. Like spinning up a windows 3.1 WM and trying to step through their "help" while faking being an old dumb ass who's pretty forgetful.
Re: (Score:3)
I've spent more than a few minutes on the line with these assholes. The one (ones?) that were calling me most certainly knew the make/model of the car I owned, and much more. Answering the initial call with any information that isn't relatively close to what you actually own would garner an immediate hangup, even if it was plausible. I had to answer pretty truthfully to get past the initial drone. Once I got to the "final boss", and wasted a bunch of his time, he finally got pissed and started rattling of
One of the few classic memes... (Score:1)
...that didn't come from 4chan.
What they need to do (Score:2)
Re:What they need to do (Score:4, Insightful)
Debtor's prison was one of the factors that let up to the American Revolution. If they don't have it, they don't have it, and no revenge fantasies will change that.
What they should go to prison for is the scam, not for not profiting enough from it.
Re: (Score:2)
None of those things are debtor's prison.
Re: (Score:3)
In many states, if you don't pay your fines, you go to jail.
THAT is debtor's prison.
There have been quite a number of cases where people rotted in jail awaiting trial for longer than the maximum sentence if they are found guilty. If they had bail money, they could get out, but they don't. That's just a hair away from debtor's prison.
Re: (Score:2)
In many states, if you don't pay your fines, you go to jail.
Not for not paying the fine. You go to jail for contempt of court for not showing up, or hiding assets, or some other form of defiance, or for violating the conditions of probation. (Some judges abuse their authority, but that's a different issue.)
THAT is debtor's prison.
No, it really isn't.
There have been quite a number of cases where people rotted in jail awaiting trial for longer than the maximum sentence if they are found guilty. If they had bail money, they could get out, but they don't. That's just a hair away from debtor's prison.
That's not even motely close to debtor's prison.
Re: (Score:2)
No, it really isn't.
You owe money you can't pay, so you go to prison. Sounds exactly like debtor's prison.
Re: (Score:2)
Have a grown up explain it to you, and ask Mummy for a cookie and some milk. It's past your bedtime.
Re: (Score:2)
Since you can't seem to explain it, you must be a child. Sorry but this is a grown-up conversation.>p>
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
What I'd like to see them punished for is refusing to pay the fine.
There is a process for that. You haul them into court, and examine their assets. Bank accounts, expensive cars, real estate, etc., and other than what's protected (which isn't much, beyond the house they live in and what they need to make a living - and any income over a certain amount is not protected), everything is seized and auctioned off. If that's not enough, they can file for bankruptcy. In any case, hiding assets *is* criminal, and people do sometimes go to prison for it.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
If so, I'd like to see it used more often, starting with these people.
So would I.
And, if memory serves, you can't get a court judgment or fine discharged by bankruptcy.
Depends, apparently, on whether it's a judgement (which generally can be discharged) or a fine (which generally cannot). In both cases, there's a limit on how much one someone's income can be garnished, and limits on what property can be seized.
Re:What they need to do (Score:5, Insightful)
no, that's not true.
*most* civil judgments can be discharged in US bankruptcy. The most common exceptions are judgments for fraud and support.
Criminal fines cannot be discharged, but civil fines generally can be.
hawk, bankruptcy attorney
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
If an administrative agency imposed it, it is necessarily civil, as they do not have the capacity to enter criminal penalties (to do so, it would have to be sent to the US AG or USA to prose3cute the criminal case).
[ok, I'm assuming that there isn't an actual criminal conviction that the journalists missed, but . . .]
So it must be civil.
The basic Chapter 7 (liquidation ) discharge usually allows governmental fines to survive. The Chapter 11 (reorganization) discharge is pretty much the same, and mostly gov
Re: What they need to do (Score:2)
The fine is likely a drop in the bucket of how much they made scamming people. Just because they hide it doesn't mean they don't have it. Sadly, even if they do pay it, the people they scammed still get nothing.
Re: (Score:3)
The fine is likely a drop in the bucket of how much they made scamming people.
Maybe, maybe not. Those scams aren't usually as profitable as people believe.
And the question isn't how much they made, it's how much they have. A large operation like that has expenses, too, and most of what they took in is likely long gone.
That's why focusing on the money is pointless and counterproductive. Focus on the actual crime, and prosecute that. If they can make restitution, take it into account at their sentencing. After the restitution is paid.
Re: (Score:2)
They should probably be forced to make good on each and every promise they made, even if they have to sell everything and borrow from the local loan shark to do it.
Re: (Score:2)
People like you are the reason civilized societies have a rule of law. Violent revenge fantasies are the exact opposite of justice.
Re: (Score:2)
You're the only one mentioning violence. I'm just suggesting that when you make a deal, you should make a good faith effort to keep it.
Re: (Score:2)
You're talking about forcing people to do business with loan sharks, borrowing money they know they can't repay.
If you don't understand that all government action is the threat of violence, and not repaying a loan shark will result in violence, then, and I'm entirely serious, you belong in a home for the mentally deficient for your own safety.
That, you're a lying, hypocritical sack of shit with an insane, violent revenge fantasy.
As I said, people (and I use the word loosely) like you are the reason civilize
Re: (Score:2)
OH I get it, you're a TROLL. Buh-bye!
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
Maximum security is expensive though, and only really useful for those prisoners who are actually dangerous enough to warrant it.
There are federal prisons that are not "country club" but not maximum security either.
Re: (Score:3)
I think this was a big after 9/11, to add some irony, but a spammer on USENET once lost his cool and started shouting that everyone else were the real terrorists because they kept trying to block his spam. He seemed completely self righteous about his activities of flooding forums with his crap.
Re: (Score:2)
Now try to collect (Score:3)
from the fly by night outfits.
What would Trump do? (Score:1)
Re: What would Trump do? (Score:2)
Trump never went personally bankrupt. This illustrates the fact that corporations are specifically and only for the purpose of avoiding liability. They achieve nothing else you cannot do in another way.
Re: What would Trump do? (Score:2)
So I was bored, in traffic (Score:3)
the fine means nothing (Score:3)
i could care less about the fine. they’ll never pay it, anyway.
all i want is their phone number.
Re: (Score:2)
all i want is their phone number.
And I want the phone to be one of those old-school "105 dB ringer" rotary ones. I want it to be mounted in their prison cell. And I want it to ring even if it's off-hook. Is that too much to ask?
Publicly floggem! Annoying SOB's (Score:1)
Pence's hanging platform is still available.
Good. (Score:1)