Who Do You Call to Report Robocallers in Michigan?

On June 10, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel joined six other states in suing a pair of Texas businesses accused of blasting residents with billions of illegal robocalls over the past two years. These businesses are responsible for over 42 billion illegal robocalls targeting Michigan residents over a five-month period in 2019. Although the Michigan Attorney General’s office is doing its part to stop them, annoying robocalls are still a part of daily life for many people. Who do you call to report robocallers in Michigan?

A federal lawsuit targets companies offering car warranties and health care services

The federal lawsuit alleges that Rising Eagle Capital Group LLC and JSquared Telecom LLC are behind a widespread campaign bombarding residents with illegal robocalls offering extended car warranties and health care services.

The seven states involved in the lawsuit are pointing to evidence that shows the defendants illegally used robocalls (prerecorded messages) to make solicitations without the consent of call recipients. They engaged in caller ID spoofing and failed to provide necessary information about the caller to mislead victims. They are also accused of targeting phone numbers on the Do Not Call Registry.

Nessel and the attorneys general from Arkansas, Indiana, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, and Texas allege in their lawsuit that Rising Eagle and JSquared violated the federal Telephone Consumer Protection Act, the Michigan Home Solicitations Act, the Michigan Consumer Protection Act, and other state consumer protection laws.

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for Southern Texas, seeks civil penalties and a permanent injunction to stop the defendants from violating federal and state law.

Legal Robocalls

Under Michigan law, a robocall is a telephone call with a recorded message, in whole or in part. Businesses or persons permitted to call you include those:

• Who have your permission to contact you;
• Who request a face-to-face meeting to sell you something;
• Who request money for a charitable organization;
• Who request money for public safety organizations (police and firefighter union, for example);
• Affiliated with a political party, politician or political action committee; or
• Who have an existing relationship with you.

Illegal Robocalls

It is against the law to call if:

• Your number is on the National Do Not Call Registry;
• The caller does not provide their full name, who they are calling for, or a phone number that if called will be answered by a live operator; or
• The number on the Caller ID is fake, misleading, or inaccurate.

How to Report a Robocall in Michigan:

The best way to deal with robocalls is to hang up or don’t answer the phone if you don’t recognize the number. However, to aid investigators with their efforts to hold robocallers accountable, certain pieces of information are helpful to the department’s efforts to investigate, particularly when submitted to the Michigan Attorney’s General’s office as part of an official complaint:

• Robocaller’s phone number;
• Your phone number and service provider (Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, etc.);
• The date and time of the robocall;
• Whether the robocall was soliciting goods or services; and
• The robocall scam (student loans, Social Security numbers, IRS liability, etc.).

According to the Attorney General, robocalls to landlines cannot be traced back, so any complaints about landline calls cannot be used to further the department’s investigation.

The attorneys at O’Reilly Rancilio have served southeast Michigan residents, businesses, and municipalities for over 30 years. Our practice areas include business and real estate, estate planning and probate law, governmental law, and litigations and disputes. Visit our website for an attorney or call 586-726-1000.