The CRTC is back in action protecting Canadians from frustrating telemarketers. Five companies have been fined a total of $643,500 for making unsolicited calls to Canadians with numbers registered on the National Do Not Call List (DNCL).
The companies – three Canadian-based companies and two Indian-based call centres – were masking their identity as being reps from Microsoft, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, or Government of Canada officials. The business were selling anti-virus software and requesting callers give remote access to their computer to install the malicious software.
The Canadian companies are Thee Future Web Ltd., which was fined $194,000, 8166200 Canada Inc. with a $76,000 fine, and NextGen Webstore, with a levy of $56,000. The India-based call centres were issued a notices of violation and fined to the tune of $317,500.
Manon Bombardier, CRTC Chief Compliance and Enforcement Officer, stated, “when making calls to Canadians, companies must follow the telemarketing rules, regardless of where they are located. As this investigation shows, we are prepared to use all the tools at our disposal to protect Canadians from unwanted telemarketing calls which originate in Canada or abroad.”
[source]CRTC[/source]
