Judge Fines So-Called Phone Operation Over $7.8 MM

A federal judge has fined an allegedly fraudulent Canadian telemarketing operation more than $7.8 million and banned it from telemarketing, according to the Federal Trade Commission.

Named as defendants were: Select Personnel Management Inc., based in Ontario, doing business as Select Management Solutions Canada; 1402473 Ontario Ltd.; 1489841 Ontario Ltd.; 2105635 Ontario Ltd.; Special T Services Group Inc.; United Registration Services Inc. and individual defendants James Stewart, Luigi Paulozza, and Philip J. Richards.

According to the FTC, the defendants targeted U.S. consumers with false claims that it could reduce their credit card interest rates.

U.S. District Court judge Charles R. Norgle, Sr., of the Northern District of Illinois entered a permanent injunction that also bars the defendants from misrepresenting that they are affiliated with consumers