Canada Fines Arizona Telemarketer for Violating Unsolicited Telecommunications Rules

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), the federal telecommunications regulator, recently fined an Arizona-based telemarketing company C$145,000 ($116,480) for making unsolicited telemarketing calls to Canadian residents offering lower credit card rates.

The CRTC cooperated with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Center in investigating Rainmaker Marketing/Maple Accounting and found the company made pre-recorded, automated calls without prior express consent to Canadian telephone numbers that had been registered on the National Do Not Call List during a one-month period in October 2012. According to the CRTC’s statement, Rainmaker Marketing failed to register with and subscribe to the National Do Not Call List before making the calls. The company also failed to display the telephone number of the originating entity when calling and did not provide a local or toll-free number where Rainmaker Marketing could be reached. To date, the CRTC has issued more than C$6 million ($4.8 million) in monetary penalties under the Unsolicited Telecommunications Rules.

TIP: The Canadian Unsolicited Telecommunications Rules require prior express consent to place certain telemarketing calls to consumers, among other requirements and restrictions. This case is a reminder that the CRTC will enforce the law against U.S. businesses making telemarketing calls to Canadian residents.