Aug 4 –The FCC has issued one of its largest fines ever. After an investigation spanning many months, the FCC decided to issue a record-setting $300 million fine on one of the largest illegal robocall operations the agency has ever faced.

The operation, comprised of an international network of companies, made more than five billion robocalls to 500 million phone numbers during a period of three months in 2021.

The organization violated multiple robocall regulations by making pre-recorded voice calls to phones without prior consent, dialing numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry, making telemarketing calls without written consent, failing to identify the caller at the beginning of the voice message, and not providing a call-back number to allow consumers to opt out of future phone calls.

These calls started in 2018 and involved a scheme to promote the sale of fake automobile warranties. These calls about how “trying to reach you about your car’s extended warranty” were so pervasive that it became an internet meme.

The FCC has listed two individuals – Roy M. Cox and Aaron Michael Jones – as the key operators behind this entity.

The FCC has directed all US voice service providers to stop carrying out operations associated with the pair and their companies. The duo hasn’t responded to the FCC’s inquiries, which may prompt the U.S. Department of Justice to step in and collect the levied fines.

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