PROVO, Utah — A Utah state lawmaker has used a law he sponsored to go after a telemarketer for violating the "Do Not Call" registry.
"Kind of ironic, isn’t it?" Rep. Norm Thurston, R-Provo, said in an interview Tuesday with FOX 13 News.
Rep. Thurston ran a bill a couple of years ago that requires companies that want to solicit Utahns to register with the state. He said he was recently contacted by someone offering political consulting services.
"I was like, 'OK, fine, tell me who you are' and they gave me their name and phone number and I said, 'Are you registered with Utah as a telemarketer?' 'Well no,'" Rep. Thurston recalled.
When he informed the caller that the law required his caller list to be run against the "Do Not Call" registry, the solicitor insisted he didn't need to because he had "friends who work in the attorney general's office." Rep. Thurston said he reported the call to the state and "turns out that person is a well known scammer across the country" who ultimately was fined by the state more than $700,000 for violations.
While not commenting specifically on the case, Utah's Division of Consumer Protection confirmed it had issued a sanction to a telemarketer accused of violating state laws for a similar amount.
"Telemarketing companies should not be reaching out to people who have registered with the federal 'Do Not Call' list," said Katie Hart, the division director. "There are exceptions. Charities is one of them."
All companies who do telemarketing work in Utah are required to register with the Department of Commerce. Violations of the laws surrounding the "Do Not Call" registry can be $2,500 per instance and a single call can rack up multiple fines.
Rep. Thurston said the steep fine issued to the telemarketer in his case is proof that the laws are working.
"We’re really serious about people whose phone numbers are on the 'Do Not Call' list. If you’re going to call people on the 'Do Not Call' list? You’re going to get reported and you’re going to get in trouble with it," he said.
He praised division investigators for taking his complaint and looking into it. He said he has submitted several to consumer protection authorities when he gets them.
"If you are a consumer who has received a call from a telemarketing company, then if you want to take the time to ask them who they are and to identify themselves and their company name, maybe jot down the number that showed up your cell phone? You should report that to the Division of Consumer Protection," Hart said.
But she encouraged people to take steps to avoid being the victim of a scam. The division uses the acronym "WISE" when dealing with solicitations:
- Watch for red flags
- Investigate and research
- Set boundaries
- Examine the fine print
If people wish to report telemarketing violations, Hart said they can go to the Utah Division of Consumer Protection's website.
"The only way we can stop other people from being harmed is if people report to us the harms they have experienced," she said. "We’re very sensitive to that."
