do we know who this call is coming from?? I just got one as well.

Same here but on cell phone

One search led me to MLMleadspecialist.com -- have no idea if this is real

Just got this same message on my cell phone this morning. The beginning of the message was cut off.The message stated that I was making minimum payments and she could help me cut them in half. Then the woman said this will be the last courtesy call. I googled the number to see if it was legit. Apparently not. I am not calling back.

Got a voice mail on my work phone with a woman's voice telling me "this is your last courtesy call. please call me at 1 888 442 0668."

I filed a complaint with the FCC just now, it didn't take long to do.  I'm sure everyone that blames the FCC has filed a complaint on this number in the past, otherwise, well that would just be............

The same lower your credit card interest rates and this is the last courtesy call crap message.  Some of you said the calling numbers showed up as MO numbers.   Last I read you cannot put cells on the state do not call list.  The number that showed up on my caller ID was 517-521-4046 and reverse search shows that to be a nonpublised landline in MI.  They asked me to return the call to 1-888-442-0668 to Laura.  I have read that it is very difficult to block your number when calling into a toll free number.  Consequently, if you use a different number to return the call they can also abuse that number and sell it out to additional scammers.  Did not call them back because it does not apply and appeared to be a scam.  This call recently happened along with calls on my cell about workman's compensation (WC) related to an area business.  The supposed WC people agreed to stop calling my number when they realized they called the wrong person.  If these spam calls do not stop I may have to check into another telephone number.  Thanks everyone for all the great information.

I got the call from: (517) 521-4046

Here's my Google Voice transcript.

Possibly Lois's interest rates to as low as 1.5% and got those monthly payment in half for you so give me a call back and since you were only making those minimum payments. This is we should be good opportunity here for you. My phone number here is 18884420668 10. This'll be a lot. Christie call. I give you a, so be sure you give me a call back at 1(888) 442-0668.

I don't currently have any credit cards.

They just called me saying they could lower my interest rates.  I do not carry a balance on any of my credit cards and so I knew this was a phony call.  They called my cell phone from a number 517.521.4046

Received same call to my Google voice number. Curious b/c others here have google voice and got same message. Original call from (517) 372-1113

I recieved the same call today. First, it sounds like a message that is cut off, then the lady says some bull crap about mimimun payments and how this is 'their last courtesy call' According to my phone, the orriginal call came from 517-372-1113. Spam!

Same Laura Stevens, offering 1.5%.  Didn't return their call.  Left on my cell phone at work.

Got a voice mail from here. Nothing to deal with them. "Christe Call" that is what it is. Doesn't say anything specific.

They must be making the rounds as I also just received the same call at my office number.

Just received a call that read on caller ID as 517-372-1113 and she did not leave her name or company name saying that this would be the last courtesy call they would make to lower monthly minimum payments and to call back at 888-442-0668.

Just received a partial message without company name or contact's name regarding lowering monthly rate to 1.5% to cut the payment in half which would allow me to pay more than the minimum amount on the monthly bill. She does say it is the last courtesy call and to please call back at 1-888-442-0668. This was left on my office phone at 9:29am Arizona time today.

Yes, my turn with the infamous caller at (888) 442-0668 and likewise, could not wait until the voice mail completed its' message so I only got part of it, but enough to know it was a scammer. I get so many on my landline anymore that unless I specifically know who is calling I don't answer. Now they are targeting my cell phone and yes both numbers are on the National Do Not Call list.

Realized long ago that the scammers know the FTC isn't really going to do anything and that the do not call list simply needs to be trashed. In the very beginning it was nice until the scammers figured the Government was helpless.

A few years ago there was a Canadian scam using the US Postal Service to deliver the scam. Fortunately, in both of these attempts, my red flag signals were still working, but why do we pay taxes to a government that says it will cure an ill and then essentially do nothing. The obvious answer is for the government to do what it always does. Allow, or even pass bills that make it easier for the "bad" people to do their business and penalize the law abiding citizens with any number of penalties. Sounds stupid but obviously (lol), it works.

"--will be a great opportunity for you and this will be the last courtesy call you will be receiving from us"

lolz

same thing, lowering intrest rates, said i had called previously, honestly i have time to kill so i keep calling them back giving no real information and then they get pissed off and they hang up on me

Just got the same message.  No company name and stating I had spoken with them previously.

I received this number in a voicemail left on cell phone from Caller-ID 810-636-5254 offering to lower the interest rates on my credit cards.  Cell phones are covered separately from the Do-Not-Call list and you can file a complaint directly with the FCC at http://esupport.fcc.gov/complaints.htm  This only takes 10 minutes to file an online complaint.  I encourage anyone who is getting called on the cell phones by this company to file a complaint with the FCC.  You do not have to be on the Do-Not-Call list to file a complaint for junk calls made to a cell phone.

Message rec'd on mobile phone re courtesy call, last opportunity for 1.5% interest and claimed "it appears you've been making your monthly minimum" - called back and was asked if I was paying high interest rates on my credit cards. I said I thought they had the wrong number and was told to disregard the call.

I just received a message from these guys today.  Definitely a fraud, since I owe no money on credit cards

Got this call on my personal cell phone. Waited for the caller to leave a voicemail, which she did. Looked up the number on a reverse phone call list. Says it's a cell phone based in Michigan. Same story: no company name, but they wanted to "lower my interested rates on my credit card payments since I'd been making the minumum payment..." Yeah right! I always pay my bill in full. Obviously a fraud caller!!

I just picked up the same message on the voicemail of my boss on his office line (an afluent executive that is not experiencing any type of financial difficulties). Beginning of message was cut off, claimed to have had a conversation with him in the past, mentioned lowering his interest rate since he was only making minimum payments, warned that this would be her last courtesy call, etc.
Very grateful for sites like this where I can just type in a phone number and get the scoop! Thanks!

HCALLED AND PUT ON HOLD FOR A LONG TIME.  DO NOT CALL THEM CALL!!!!  THIS IS FRAUD DEBIT RELIEVE

called by this number 810-232-0528 and told to call 888 442 0668

I received a call from a different number, but the message was the same as people who received a call from 888-442-0668.  My call came from 810 232-0528.  This appears to be a robo call about a credit card from Lisa Stevens. I received it on my cell phone at work.  I do not give out my cell phone number often and am on the do-not-call list.  Please do something to stop these obnoxious calls.  Thanks

Yep,  Scam here.  I got a call today from these people and I knew something was up.  My voice mail still has old girlfriend on recorder.  The lady "Lisa" I think mentioned that she spoke with us last week about lower our interest rate on a credit card.  I haven't been with the old girlfriend in a long time and I knew this was a scam call.

As usual - someone claims nothing is being done - when THE FTC IS DOING SOMETHING!

ITS A KNOWN SCAM TELEMARKETING CALL THAT IS VIOLATING A COURT ORDER TO STOP MAKING THESE CALLS PENDING AN FTC LAWSUIT IN MAY


BBB, Schumer Warn Consumers of Robocalls Promising to Lower Their Credit Card Interest Rate
Arlington, VA ? June 10, 2009 - Consumers across the U.S. and Canada are sounding off to Better Business Bureau and U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) about incessant automated telemarketing calls promising to lower interest rates on their credit cards.  Not only are the calls a nuisance and violate U.S. and Canadian Do-Not-Call laws, but some companies behind the calls are ripping off consumers by charging large up-front fees to negotiate lower interest rates with credit card companies?something consumers can do on their own for free.
According to figures cited by the White House in January, credit-card debt increased 25 percent in the past 10 years, totaling $963 billion ? with per household credit card debt at nearly $9,000 now. Knowing that so many families are drowning in debt, telemarketers offering suspect financial assistance are taking full advantage of the situation. Consumers have reported receiving calls as early as three in the morning and on both their cell and home phones even when they have registered the numbers with federal Do-Not-Call lists. Consumers also tell BBB that, despite their requests to the telemarketers to stop calling, the calls continue to come.  
?Similar to telemarketing calls claiming your auto warranty is expiring, calls offering to lower credit card interest rates also seem to have complete disregard for federal laws,? said Steve Cox, BBB spokesperson. ?These telemarketers are not forthcoming about the company they?re calling on behalf of, but BBB has identified some offenders by working with consumers who, unfortunately, paid for assistance in reducing their interest rate.?
?Cell phone spam may not be the biggest problem we have to deal with, but we got the FTC to shut down the car-warranty robocalls and now it?s time they shut down the other robocallers as well,? Schumer said. ?These calls cost consumers hundreds in wasted cell phone minutes or much, much more if they get caught in the trap being laid by these unscrupulous companies. The perpetrators behind the credit card interest rate calls have also found a way around the Do Not Call List. The FTC has to track them down and then shut them down to put an end to this nuisance once and for all.?

BBB has received numerous complaints about two Orlando-based companies, CSTR Solutions, Inc. and Genesis Capital Management, and one Tacoma-based company, Mutual Consolidated Savings. All are behind at least some of the robocalls and are promising to save people anywhere from $2,000 to $25,000 by negotiating lower interest rates with credit card companies.
Robocalls generally begin with recorded messages that include statements like: ?There are no problems currently with your account, however it is urgent that you contact us concerning your eligibility for lowering your interest rates to as little as 6 point 9 per cent.? or, ?This is our final attempt to reach you since you've not responded to our other calls to discuss your credit card debt.? The automated message invariably does not include the name of the company, but may claim to be with Card Services or Card Holder Services. Complainants note to BBB that they now believe the calls were designed to deceive them into thinking their credit card company was contacting them.
After the initial recorded message, consumers must dial another number to be connected to a live person. The live ?operator? usually starts the sales pitch by asking for the consumer?s credit card number and whether the consumer is interested in lowering their interest rates. From there, callers begin closing the sale, asking if the consumer is willing to pay ? usually from $700 to $1,000 - to have their firm contact the credit card company and negotiate lower rates.  
?The ?negotiation? undertaken by these companies can be as simple as calling the customer service number listed on the back of the consumer?s credit card and asking a customer service representative to lower the interest rate,? added Cox. ?Consumers are fully capable of talking to credit card companies on their own, for free, and getting similar results. Consumers simply don?t need to pay any company a thousand dollars to negotiate lower rates on their behalf.?
According to BBB complaints, companies are failing to uphold money-back guarantees and not refunding money in cases where they are unsuccessful in lowering rates.
BBB offers the following advice for consumers who receive robocalls from companies offering to lower their interest rate:
? Never give personal information, including Social Security, bank or credit card numbers, over the phone to an unknown telemarketer. Always research the company first by reviewing its Reliability Report at www.bbb.org.
? When considering any company offering any type of financial assistance, insist on getting a contract in which all terms and conditions are clearly explained before signing up or providing credit card or other payment information.
? U.S. consumers can place their home phone number on the federal Do Not Call list by visiting www.donotcall.gov. If the consumer?s number is already on the list but continues to receive telemarketing calls?or is receiving robocalls on a cell phone?he or she can use the same Web site to report the incident to the FTC. Canadian consumers can learn more at www.lnnte-dncl.gc.ca.
For more information or to schedule an interview with a BBB spokesperson, contact Alison Southwick at 703-247-9376.

Credit Card Rate Reduction Scammers Banned From Telemarketing
Canadian firm ordered to pay $7.8 million fine


July 13, 2009
A federal judge has slapped a telemarketing ban on a Canadian outfit that targeted U.S. consumers with false claims that it could reduce their credit card interest rates.
At the request of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the court entered a permanent injunction that puts the defendants out of the telemarketing business. It also bars them from misrepresenting that they are affiliated with consumers' credit card companies, or that they can get consumers' credit card interest rates reduced.
The court also ordered the defendants to pay more than $7.8 million.
According to the FTC's complaint, the telemarketing operation cheated about 12,000 consumers out of more than $7.8 million between 2005 and 2007 by falsely claiming that it could substantially reduce consumers' existing credit card interest rates and save them thousands of dollars in interest and finance charges.
The defendants are Select Personnel Management Inc., based in Ontario, doing business as Select Management Solutions Canada; 1402473 Ontario Limited; 1489841 Ontario Limited; 2105635 Ontario Limited; Special T Services Group Inc.; United Registration Services Inc., as well as individual defendants James Stewart, Luigi Paulozza, and Philip J. Richards.
The FTC charges that they stated or implied--falsely--that they were affiliated with consumers' credit card companies. For $675 plus $20 for shipping and handling, according to the complaint, the defendants sent consumers promotional materials with promises to substantially reduce their interest rates, and a "financial profile form" for them to complete and mail back.
The complaint states the defendants promised to reduce the interest charged on credit cards to rates between 4.75 percent and 9 percent, save consumers at least $2,500, and refund the cost of their services to consumers who did not save at least that much money.
In fact, according to the FTC, the operators of the scam did little more than add their own fee to consumers' credit card balances. The extent of the rate-reduction services consisted of setting up three-way telephone calls with consumers and their credit card companies, and asking that the companies lower the interest rates. Those requests typically were denied.
The FTC said the defendants' misrepresentations violated the FTC Act and the Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR). The agency also charged the defendants with violating the TSR by "spoofing" telephone numbers so that their calls appeared on consumers' caller identification services as coming from another number, and by failing to provide the names of the defendants or their telemarketer on caller identification services.



http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2009/07 ... am.html#ixzz0LA



FTC Goes After Credit Card Robocall Scammers
Offers of interest-rate reduction claims targeted


December 11, 2009


The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is widening its campaign against telemarketers who violated the Do Not Call Rule and other laws by making hundreds of thousands or even millions of recorded robocalls to consumers.
This latest effort targets three groups that allegedly made robocalls to sell worthless credit-card interest-rate reduction programs for hefty up-front fees of as much as $1,495. The court has issued an order temporarily halting the robocalls pending trial.
"The FTC has heard the public outcry against robocalls and has taken swift action to stop them. During these difficult economic times, the last thing anyone needs is to be bombarded by robocalls pitching worthless interest-rate reduction programs," said FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz.
The three complaints follow two filed in May that led to court orders stopping other telemarketers from using robocalls with deceptive claims aboutextended auto warranties. Since September 1, 2009, virtually all robocalls have been illegal, unless the recipients have provided written authorization to receive the pre-recorded calls.
According to the three FTC complaints, Economic Relief Technologies, LLC, Dynamic Financial Group (U.S.A.) Inc., and JPM Accelerated Services (JPM) and related defendants made illegal pre-recorded robocalls to consumers, using names like "card services," "credit card services" or "account services."
The robocalls allegedly claimed the companies' services could lower the interest rate on consumers' credit cards. In each case, consumers who pressed 1 after hearing the automated call were transferred to live telemarketers who allegedly misrepresented that consumers could dramatically lower the rates on their credit card.
The telemarketers also said consumers would save thousands of dollars in a short period of time by lowering their interest rates and would be able to pay off their debts faster -- for an up-front fee ranging from $495 to $1,495. They then falsely stated that if consumers did not save a "guaranteed" amount -- typically $2,500 or more -- they could get a full refund of the up-front fee.
However, after securing the fee, the defendants allegedly did not negotiate lower rates on behalf of consumers and provided few refunds to those who were dissatisfied with the service.
Economic Relief Technologies also allegedly operated a related scam: using names like "Auto Protection Center" and "Warranty Services," they tricked consumers into believing they were affiliated with their vehicle manufacturer or dealership, and falsely claimed that the consumers' vehicles' warranties were about to expire. The scheme is similar to several stopped by a court order at the FTC's request earlier this year.
The lawsuits claim the companies broke the law by making illegal robocalls to consumers and that their deceptive sales pitches violated the FTC Act and the FTC's Telemarketing Sales Rule.
Additional charges include:
? Calling consumers whose phone numbers are on the National Do Not Call Registry.
? Calling consumers who had previously asked not to be called.
? Failing to transmit their caller ID information, as required.
? "Spoofing" or masking their caller ID information.
? Failing to promptly identify themselves, the purpose of their call, and/or the nature of the goods or services they were selling.
? Improperly abandoning calls.
? Failing to make required disclosures in their robocalls.
To help consumers and businesses understand their rights and responsibilities when it comes to pre-recorded telemarketing calls, the FTC issued two new alerts, "New Rules for Robocalls" and "Reining in Robocalls."
Separately, the FTC has issued a new publication, the National Do Not Call Registry Data Book for Fiscal Year 2009, which contains information about the Registry, along with a breakdown of consumer complaints about companies violating the Do Not Call rules. According to the Data Book, there are more than 191 million numbers on the Do Not Call Registry.




Read more: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2009/12 ... l#ixzz0ZNtsuqK0

ITS A KNOWN SCAM TELEMARKETING CALL THAT IS VIOLATING A COURT ORDER TO STOP MAKING THESE CALLS PENDING AN FTC LAWSUIT IN MAY


BBB, Schumer Warn Consumers of Robocalls Promising to Lower Their Credit Card Interest Rate
Arlington, VA ? June 10, 2009 - Consumers across the U.S. and Canada are sounding off to Better Business Bureau and U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) about incessant automated telemarketing calls promising to lower interest rates on their credit cards.  Not only are the calls a nuisance and violate U.S. and Canadian Do-Not-Call laws, but some companies behind the calls are ripping off consumers by charging large up-front fees to negotiate lower interest rates with credit card companies?something consumers can do on their own for free.
According to figures cited by the White House in January, credit-card debt increased 25 percent in the past 10 years, totaling $963 billion ? with per household credit card debt at nearly $9,000 now. Knowing that so many families are drowning in debt, telemarketers offering suspect financial assistance are taking full advantage of the situation. Consumers have reported receiving calls as early as three in the morning and on both their cell and home phones even when they have registered the numbers with federal Do-Not-Call lists. Consumers also tell BBB that, despite their requests to the telemarketers to stop calling, the calls continue to come.  
?Similar to telemarketing calls claiming your auto warranty is expiring, calls offering to lower credit card interest rates also seem to have complete disregard for federal laws,? said Steve Cox, BBB spokesperson. ?These telemarketers are not forthcoming about the company they?re calling on behalf of, but BBB has identified some offenders by working with consumers who, unfortunately, paid for assistance in reducing their interest rate.?
?Cell phone spam may not be the biggest problem we have to deal with, but we got the FTC to shut down the car-warranty robocalls and now it?s time they shut down the other robocallers as well,? Schumer said. ?These calls cost consumers hundreds in wasted cell phone minutes or much, much more if they get caught in the trap being laid by these unscrupulous companies. The perpetrators behind the credit card interest rate calls have also found a way around the Do Not Call List. The FTC has to track them down and then shut them down to put an end to this nuisance once and for all.?

BBB has received numerous complaints about two Orlando-based companies, CSTR Solutions, Inc. and Genesis Capital Management, and one Tacoma-based company, Mutual Consolidated Savings. All are behind at least some of the robocalls and are promising to save people anywhere from $2,000 to $25,000 by negotiating lower interest rates with credit card companies.
Robocalls generally begin with recorded messages that include statements like: ?There are no problems currently with your account, however it is urgent that you contact us concerning your eligibility for lowering your interest rates to as little as 6 point 9 per cent.? or, ?This is our final attempt to reach you since you've not responded to our other calls to discuss your credit card debt.? The automated message invariably does not include the name of the company, but may claim to be with Card Services or Card Holder Services. Complainants note to BBB that they now believe the calls were designed to deceive them into thinking their credit card company was contacting them.
After the initial recorded message, consumers must dial another number to be connected to a live person. The live ?operator? usually starts the sales pitch by asking for the consumer?s credit card number and whether the consumer is interested in lowering their interest rates. From there, callers begin closing the sale, asking if the consumer is willing to pay ? usually from $700 to $1,000 - to have their firm contact the credit card company and negotiate lower rates.  
?The ?negotiation? undertaken by these companies can be as simple as calling the customer service number listed on the back of the consumer?s credit card and asking a customer service representative to lower the interest rate,? added Cox. ?Consumers are fully capable of talking to credit card companies on their own, for free, and getting similar results. Consumers simply don?t need to pay any company a thousand dollars to negotiate lower rates on their behalf.?
According to BBB complaints, companies are failing to uphold money-back guarantees and not refunding money in cases where they are unsuccessful in lowering rates.
BBB offers the following advice for consumers who receive robocalls from companies offering to lower their interest rate:
? Never give personal information, including Social Security, bank or credit card numbers, over the phone to an unknown telemarketer. Always research the company first by reviewing its Reliability Report at www.bbb.org.
? When considering any company offering any type of financial assistance, insist on getting a contract in which all terms and conditions are clearly explained before signing up or providing credit card or other payment information.
? U.S. consumers can place their home phone number on the federal Do Not Call list by visiting www.donotcall.gov. If the consumer?s number is already on the list but continues to receive telemarketing calls?or is receiving robocalls on a cell phone?he or she can use the same Web site to report the incident to the FTC. Canadian consumers can learn more at www.lnnte-dncl.gc.ca.
For more information or to schedule an interview with a BBB spokesperson, contact Alison Southwick at 703-247-9376.

Credit Card Rate Reduction Scammers Banned From Telemarketing
Canadian firm ordered to pay $7.8 million fine


July 13, 2009
A federal judge has slapped a telemarketing ban on a Canadian outfit that targeted U.S. consumers with false claims that it could reduce their credit card interest rates.
At the request of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the court entered a permanent injunction that puts the defendants out of the telemarketing business. It also bars them from misrepresenting that they are affiliated with consumers' credit card companies, or that they can get consumers' credit card interest rates reduced.
The court also ordered the defendants to pay more than $7.8 million.
According to the FTC's complaint, the telemarketing operation cheated about 12,000 consumers out of more than $7.8 million between 2005 and 2007 by falsely claiming that it could substantially reduce consumers' existing credit card interest rates and save them thousands of dollars in interest and finance charges.
The defendants are Select Personnel Management Inc., based in Ontario, doing business as Select Management Solutions Canada; 1402473 Ontario Limited; 1489841 Ontario Limited; 2105635 Ontario Limited; Special T Services Group Inc.; United Registration Services Inc., as well as individual defendants James Stewart, Luigi Paulozza, and Philip J. Richards.
The FTC charges that they stated or implied--falsely--that they were affiliated with consumers' credit card companies. For $675 plus $20 for shipping and handling, according to the complaint, the defendants sent consumers promotional materials with promises to substantially reduce their interest rates, and a "financial profile form" for them to complete and mail back.
The complaint states the defendants promised to reduce the interest charged on credit cards to rates between 4.75 percent and 9 percent, save consumers at least $2,500, and refund the cost of their services to consumers who did not save at least that much money.
In fact, according to the FTC, the operators of the scam did little more than add their own fee to consumers' credit card balances. The extent of the rate-reduction services consisted of setting up three-way telephone calls with consumers and their credit card companies, and asking that the companies lower the interest rates. Those requests typically were denied.
The FTC said the defendants' misrepresentations violated the FTC Act and the Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR). The agency also charged the defendants with violating the TSR by "spoofing" telephone numbers so that their calls appeared on consumers' caller identification services as coming from another number, and by failing to provide the names of the defendants or their telemarketer on caller identification services.



http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2009/07 ... am.html#ixzz0LA



FTC Goes After Credit Card Robocall Scammers
Offers of interest-rate reduction claims targeted


December 11, 2009


The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is widening its campaign against telemarketers who violated the Do Not Call Rule and other laws by making hundreds of thousands or even millions of recorded robocalls to consumers.
This latest effort targets three groups that allegedly made robocalls to sell worthless credit-card interest-rate reduction programs for hefty up-front fees of as much as $1,495. The court has issued an order temporarily halting the robocalls pending trial.
"The FTC has heard the public outcry against robocalls and has taken swift action to stop them. During these difficult economic times, the last thing anyone needs is to be bombarded by robocalls pitching worthless interest-rate reduction programs," said FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz.
The three complaints follow two filed in May that led to court orders stopping other telemarketers from using robocalls with deceptive claims aboutextended auto warranties. Since September 1, 2009, virtually all robocalls have been illegal, unless the recipients have provided written authorization to receive the pre-recorded calls.
According to the three FTC complaints, Economic Relief Technologies, LLC, Dynamic Financial Group (U.S.A.) Inc., and JPM Accelerated Services (JPM) and related defendants made illegal pre-recorded robocalls to consumers, using names like "card services," "credit card services" or "account services."
The robocalls allegedly claimed the companies' services could lower the interest rate on consumers' credit cards. In each case, consumers who pressed 1 after hearing the automated call were transferred to live telemarketers who allegedly misrepresented that consumers could dramatically lower the rates on their credit card.
The telemarketers also said consumers would save thousands of dollars in a short period of time by lowering their interest rates and would be able to pay off their debts faster -- for an up-front fee ranging from $495 to $1,495. They then falsely stated that if consumers did not save a "guaranteed" amount -- typically $2,500 or more -- they could get a full refund of the up-front fee.
However, after securing the fee, the defendants allegedly did not negotiate lower rates on behalf of consumers and provided few refunds to those who were dissatisfied with the service.
Economic Relief Technologies also allegedly operated a related scam: using names like "Auto Protection Center" and "Warranty Services," they tricked consumers into believing they were affiliated with their vehicle manufacturer or dealership, and falsely claimed that the consumers' vehicles' warranties were about to expire. The scheme is similar to several stopped by a court order at the FTC's request earlier this year.
The lawsuits claim the companies broke the law by making illegal robocalls to consumers and that their deceptive sales pitches violated the FTC Act and the FTC's Telemarketing Sales Rule.
Additional charges include:
? Calling consumers whose phone numbers are on the National Do Not Call Registry.
? Calling consumers who had previously asked not to be called.
? Failing to transmit their caller ID information, as required.
? "Spoofing" or masking their caller ID information.
? Failing to promptly identify themselves, the purpose of their call, and/or the nature of the goods or services they were selling.
? Improperly abandoning calls.
? Failing to make required disclosures in their robocalls.
To help consumers and businesses understand their rights and responsibilities when it comes to pre-recorded telemarketing calls, the FTC issued two new alerts, "New Rules for Robocalls" and "Reining in Robocalls."
Separately, the FTC has issued a new publication, the National Do Not Call Registry Data Book for Fiscal Year 2009, which contains information about the Registry, along with a breakdown of consumer complaints about companies violating the Do Not Call rules. According to the Data Book, there are more than 191 million numbers on the Do Not Call Registry.




Read more: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2009/12 ... l#ixzz0ZNtsuqK0