Announced today 3/12/14:

http://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases ... called-millions

FTC Reaches Settlement With Home Security Company that Called Millions of Consumers on the National Do Not Call Registry

The Federal Trade Commission, with the assistance of the U.S. Department of Justice, has settled a complaint against a Massachusetts-based home security company that illegally called millions of consumers on the FTC?s National Do Not Call (DNC) Registry to pitch home security systems.

According to the FTC, Versatile Marketing Solutions (VMS), under the guidance of its owner, Jasjit Gotra, called millions of consumers whose names and phone numbers VMS bought from lead generators. The lead generators claimed that those consumers had given VMS permission to contact them about the installation of a free home security system, but in reality, they had not. In its complaint, the FTC alleges that the defendants? tactics violated the Commission?s Telemarketing Sales Rule.

The sales leads were obtained by illegal means through rampant use of robocalls from ?Tom with Home Protection,? fake survey calls, and calls to phone numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry. According to the complaint, VMS subsequently called these consumers without first checking to see if they had registered their telephone numbers on the DNC Registry.

In addition, the complaint alleges that VMS ignored warning signs that the lead generators were engaged in illegal telemarketing practices. For example, many consumers contacted by VMS complained that they had not given the company permission to call, nor had they given permission to receive a robocall. Despite mounting complaints, VMS continued buying leads from the same lead generators, and calling consumers using those leads.

?Companies that use lead generators must exercise due diligence when they buy lists of phone numbers,? said Jessica Rich, Director of the FTC?s Bureau of Consumer Protection, ?or else they can be on the hook for illegal telemarketing. Relying on a say-so that the numbers were obtained legally, or that the consumers have agreed to be called, even if their numbers are on the Do Not Call Registry, isn?t enough.?    

According to the complaint, between November 2011 and July 2012, VMS made more than two million calls to consumers to try to sell home security goods and services. Of those calls, at least one million were to phone numbers listed on the DNC Registry, and more than 100,000 were to consumers who had previously told VMS not to call them again ? another violation of the DNC rules.

The stipulated final court order settling the charges prohibits VMS and Gotra from making abusive telemarketing calls and from calling any consumer whose number is on the DNC Registry, unless they can prove that they have received written permission to make the call or that they have an established business relationship with that consumer. Further, it bars defendants from calling any consumer who has previously told VMS not to call them again. The order also places restrictions on how defendants can obtain and use lead-generated phone numbers in the future.

Finally, the order imposes a $3.4 million penalty judgment against the defendants, with all but $320,700 suspended due to their inability to pay. The entire amount will become due if the defendants are found to have misrepresented their financial condition.

The court settlement announced today resolves the FTC?s complaint against Versatile Marketing Solutions, Inc. also doing business as VMS Alarms, VMS, Alliance Security, and Alliance Home Protection; and its owner, Jasjit Gotra.

The Commission vote authorizing the staff to refer the civil penalty complaint to the Department of Justice, and to approve the proposed consent decree, was 4-0. The DOJ filed the complaint and proposed consent decree on behalf of the Commission in U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts on March 10, 2014. The proposed consent decree is subject to court approval.

NOTE: The Commission authorizes the filing of a complaint when it has ?reason to believe? that the law has been or is being violated, and it appears to the Commission that a proceeding is in the public interest. Consent judgments have the force of law when signed by a district court judge.

Information for Consumers and Business

The FTC has a new blog post for consumers on the DNC Registry, as well as two consumer education videos explaining robocalls and describing what consumers should do when they receive one. The Commission also has a new blog with business education information. General information on the DNC Registry is also available on the website.

The Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish, visit the FTC?s online Complaint Assistant or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). The FTC enters complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 2,000 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. The FTC?s website provides free information on a variety of consumer topics. Like the FTC on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and subscribe to press releases for the latest FTC news and resources.

i found them guy's name is Anthony Deek

The Alarm Group
417 campbell avenue
west haven, CT 06516
United States

call center number - 475-238-6662
owner's cell phone - [REMOVED]

linkedin
http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=137905168&locale=en_US&trk=tyah

Recording saying the FBI reports there have been break-ins in your neighborhood.  I listened and there is an option to be removed from their database. I have entered this option 4 times - guess fit doesn't work.her numbers.  Caller ID said Security. I am looking for a way to reporting them to state agency.

These ?Home Security Services? are very likely coming from VMS ALARMS of Rhode Island.  I have gotten hundreds of these home alarm robocalls over the last year or two.  Hard to know if there are other guilty parties, but once one of the telemarketers said they were coming from Rhode Island.

The Attorney General of Pennsylvania has taken steps agains VMS alarms, don?t know why Rhode Island has seem to have been silent about them.

Anyways if anyone cares to google VMS ALARMS of Rhode Island, see their bad history.  Maybe some of US should phone harass THEM.

These ?Home Security Services? are very likely coming from VMS ALARMS of Rhode Island.  I have gotten hundreds of these home alarm robocalls over the last year or two.  Hard to know if there are other guilty parties, but once one of the telemarketers said they were coming from Rhode Island.

The Attorney General of Pennsylvania has taken steps agains VMS Alarms, don?t know why Rhode Island has seem to have been silent about them.

Anyways if anyone cares to google VMS ALARMS of Rhode Island, see their bad history.  Maybe some of US should phone harass THEM.

Received a call from this entity about 8:48 pm on Wednesday, 3/27. I never answer if I don't know who is calling and sometimes I don't answer even IF I know who is calling and it is either a telemarketer or some entity I've never heard of.
Caller ID said
317-759-7561
Security

I am sick of these calls.  I have repeatedly requested to be removed from list. I have held on and talked with a person several times and ask them to remove my number and they hang up on me !  They keep calling about a GE security system. They call at all hours. It is after 9 pm here and they just called again !   It's has been going on for months.  How can it be stopped ????

Great tip- works like a charm. I tested it w my landline and blocked (then removed) my cell number. I called and just got a fast busy signal.  perfect.  thanks again

Continuous calls from this number.  No one ever speaks, just keeps pressing a number button.  Caller ID shows "security" only...  Is big brother checking on us??

Security call, why don't these people understand to leave us alone. Rather have e-mail and then spam them.
If I select 2 to be remove. Will they sell it to someone else? So far this is the 5th call from 5 different company about this BS.

Do not want these companies to call me at all.

unwanted call

If you have internet, you can get rid of your land line and get OOMA.COM and block these.
I just blocked this number with my OOMA

I just bought a Panasonic cordless phone that will block 30 numbers. So far, I have blocked 12 numbers and my phone is not ringing with every scam on the planet.

I would like to know where this number is attached to because I am waiting for someone to call me from this area code and I do not know if it is them or not.

another telemarketer.  Wish they would bother someone else. Oh... they have. LMAO.

These folks call constantly. I try not to answer but since my wife was visiting relatives in another state, I did answer on my portable phone - but that was in my bathroom while I was taking a big soap suds enema and certainly wasn't feeling very well at that time and up to talking to anyone except my wife. The government could stop these calls but since they don't seem to be able to do much of anything now-a-days that helps citizens or our country, I am not expecting any fixing by them anytime soon

I'd as Security.
no answer

Caller-ID shows "Security" - When I called it back call was forwarded to 585-317-7597 - A SPRINT CELL NUMBER!

assign this number to contacts.......then label it scam......assign 'no ring'   so, they'll call, but there will be no sound to annoy you.......

Calls repeatedly.

There is one oher thing about returning unanswered calls I forgot to mention. When you call these scammers back they now have your name along with a connected phone number, they the scammers have caller ID too In case anyone was wondering how some of these "people" sometimes know your name.

please remove  mr from this list I do not need a security system and I do not wish from telmarketer to call my number

Since the call was illegal from the get-go, the offer to add to the do not call list is worthless.  They don't do it, as other people have said.

Call, no message ... caller ID says, "Security".

They hung up before saying anything.  I called the number and a recording told me to press any number to be added to the do not call list.  Telemarketer.

Same message, small sign, same intro, FBI, same name, Security Tech.,

Just called - left no message. I don't answer unknown callers.

Calls all day. Doesn't leave message.

Just a recommendation. If you have caller ID and a number or name you don`t recognize shows up. Don`t answer. There are companies who use robo calls to fish for a connected number and that number gets added to a data base for automated dialer, they then sell those numbers from their "fishing expedition" to others or use it themselves for their own scams. Calling them back has the same result as answering, your number gets added to the data base if you didn`t answer the original call. It isn`t fool proof, but it does help cut down the number of scam calls I use to get. That why I use 800 Notes and other like it to find out if the callers are ligit or not. Google the number first before you call that number.