Oklahoma’s attorney general filed suit Monday against Mortgage Investors Corp. for violating the state’s new Telemarketer Restriction Act. The company is the first to be charged with breaking the state law.
Attorney general Drew Edmondson accused Mortgage Investors of making at least eight unsolicited telemarketing calls to Oklahomans who’ve registered with the state’s Don’t Call program.
“Mortgage Investors Corp. has failed to purchase the Don’t Call registry and continues to contact Oklahomans on the list. This must stop,” he said.
Wes Bailey, a lawyer for Mortgage Investors, said it was too soon to comment because the court hadn’t notified the company of the lawsuit as of Tuesday evening.
Edmondson is asking the Oklahoma County District Court to penalize the company up to $10,000 per violation, which is what the statute subscribes. His petition also seeks for the court to permanently keep the St. Petersburg, Fla.-based company from calling consumers on the Don’t Call list.
The state law went into effect Jan. 1. Companies were given until Feb. 1 to buy the Don’t Call list and to comply with the law, said Charlie Price, spokesman for the attorney general’s office. About 25 other states have similar telemarketer restriction laws, he said.
Mortgage Investors is a refinance provider and has been in business since 1938. It’s authorized by the Federal Housing Administration and the Veterans Administration, according to the company.
Exceptions to Oklahoma’s new law include calls from charitable, religious, and political groups, and solicitations to arrange a face-to-face meeting between a salesperson and consumer. Telemarketers who have established business relationships with their customers are also exempt.
Oklahomans can register their phone number for the Don’t Call program for free online, by phone, or by mail. The list is updated quarterly.
The attorney general’s office also announced that it’s participating in a live, one-hour broadcast Thursday entitled, “Oklahomans Against Telemarketing Fraud: Stop the Ring,” sponsored by AARP, Oklahoma Seniors Against Fraud, and SBC. Consumers can call a hotline and ask a panel of experts questions about the new law.
