UK’s Robo Call Shenanigans: Fines Rain Down on Sneaky Telemarketers Preying on the Vulnerable
The UK’s data protection watchdog has fined two British businesses £550,000 for using illegal robo call technology to target vulnerable individuals. Andy Curry, head of investigations at the ICO, mentioned the use of avatar software, which makes distinguishing genuine calls from predatory ones challenging, urging the public to report these robo calls.
Hot Take:
It seems like some UK businesses took “phoning it in” a bit too literally, as they were caught red-handed unleashing robo-callers on unsuspecting, vulnerable folks. Imagine a call center run by the Terminator, but instead of “Hasta la vista, baby,” it’s “Can I interest you in some loft insulation?” Thankfully, the ICO stepped in to terminate their operations with a hefty fine.
Key Points:
- The ICO fined two UK businesses £550,000 for illegal robo-calls targeting vulnerable people.
- These calls featured avatars pretending to be local energy advisors.
- Nearly 500 complaints were filed against Green Spark Energy and Home Improvement Marketing.
- Both companies shared a common director, whose devices were seized by the ICO.
- These marketing practices are legal only with informed consent, which was notably absent.
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