Telecommunications
JSquared Telecom LLCFind BBB Accredited Businesses in Telecommunications.
Information and Alerts
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This business has 3 alerts.
Government Actions 1
Attorney General Bailey Shuts Down Texas Robocallers
“As Attorney General, I want to enforce the laws as written, which includes holding those who illegally plague Missourians with unwanted phone calls accountable,” said Attorney General Bailey. “People have a right to be free from that type of contact and communication, as codified in state law. I’m proud of this win our Consumer Protection unit has delivered for the people of Missouri, and we will continue to use every legal tool at our disposal to halt these unlawful robocalls."
The attorneys general sued the defendants in June 2020 alleging violations of the federal Telephone Consumer Protection Act and the federal Telemarketing Sales Rule, as well as various state consumer protection laws. The complaint alleged that defendants used their companies to bombard people with deceptive robocalls, including extended car warranties and health care services. They also spoofed calls to mislead people and called people on the Do Not Call list.
Mears and Spiller are now permanently banned from initiating or facilitating any robocalls, working in or with companies that make robocalls, and engaging in any telemarketing. The court also ordered monetary judgements totaling $244,658,640 for Spiller and Mears combined, though these payments will be largely suspended in favor of the permanent operational bans and because of their inability to pay.
Attorney General Bailey is joined in today’s settlements by the attorneys general of Arkansas, Indiana, Michigan, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, and Texas.
Just recently announced by Attorney General Bailey, Missourians have been bombarded with robocalls – the Missouri Attorney General’s Office received over 39,000 complaints from consumers whose numbers were on the Do Not Call Registry in 2022 alone. Missourians who receive unwanted calls can fill out the form to be placed on both the federal and state No-Call List at ago.mo.gov and can report violations of this list at (800) 392-8222.
A copy of the Spiller judgment is available here: https://ago.mo.gov/docs/default-source/press-releases/spiller-entered-settlement.pdf?sfvrsn=19c35cd7_2
A copy of the Mears judgment is available here: https://ago.mo.gov/docs/default-source/press-releases/mears-entered-settlement.pdf?sfvrsn=95ba3c5e_2
Government Actions 2
Attorney General Nessel Secures Judgments Banning Robocall Offenders from Calling into Michigan
August 16, 2023
LANSING – Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel won judgments this week against Scott Shapiro, Michael Theron Smith Jr. and Health Advisors of America, Inc., all of Florida, for their roles in a massive robocall scheme that directed billions of illegal robocalls to people across the country. In 2019 alone, Michigan consumers were bombarded with more than 42 million robocalls tied to this scheme, including more than 19 million calls to people whose numbers were on the Do Not Call Registry. These legal victories, secured by permanent injunctions and monetary judgments in the United States District Court of Southern Texas, ensure Scott Shapiro, Michael Theron Smith, Jr., and Health Advisors of America can no longer make robocalls or work for or with companies that conduct robocalls into Michigan.
“These judgments will make a significant impact on the avalanche of robocalls Michigan residents have faced in recent years,” Nessel said. “With our Robocall Taskforce and our national efforts undertaken by my department we have been able to meaningfully hold bad actors accountable and stop some of these robocall perpetrators in their tracks. This is an important victory in our fight to protect consumers from these intrusive and often deceptive calls.”
AG Nessel sued the defendants as part of a larger case that began in 2020 against John Caldwell Spiller II and his business partner, Jakob Mears, the owners of Texas-based Rising Eagle Capital Group LLC and JSquared Telecom LLC, as well as Rising Eagle Capital Group–Cayman. The lawsuit alleged violations of the federal Telephone Consumer Protection Act, the federal Telemarketing Sales Rule, and various state consumer protection laws.
The complaint alleged that Shapiro and Smith worked with Mears and Spiller to make illegal robocalls targeting people who never asked to be contacted by Health Advisors. In addition to the permanent robocall bans, the defendants are also banned for 10 years from engaging in telemarketing, lead generation, providing or selling telephone numbers, or calling numbers on the Do Not Call lists in Michigan. Shapiro is further banned for two years from engaging in these activities nationwide. The court ordered monetary judgments totaling $146,153,860 for Shapiro, Smith, and Health Advisors combined, though payments will be largely suspended in favor of the operational bans so long as the defendants continue to abide by the terms of the judgments.
The defendants must also present a copy of the judgment to all businesses and new customers with whom they conduct business for the next 10 years. These judgments resolve all ongoing litigation in this case.
AG Nessel is joined in these judgments by the Attorneys General of Arkansas, Indiana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, and Texas.
Copies of the judgments are available here:
Government Action: BBB reports on known government actions involving business’ marketplace conduct:
AG Nessel Takes Texas Robocaller to Court for Violating Permanent Robocall and Telemarketing Bans
March 28, 2024
LANSING – Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel today asked the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas to take stronger action against John Caldwell Spiller II after Spiller violated permanent robocall and telemarketing bans. Nessel filed alongside seven other state attorneys general represented on the original March 2023 judgment against Spiller for directing billions of illegal robocalls to people across the country. In 2019 alone, Spiller and his co-defendants bombarded Michigan consumers with more than 42 million robocalls – including more than 19 million calls to people whose numbers were on the Do Not Call Registry.
“Mr. Spiller has completely ignored and connived to circumvent the existing court orders preventing him from operating as a robocaller in Michigan,” said Nessel. "So, we are asking the Court to strike decisively against his capacities to harass people all across the country with his deceptive robocalls.”
In March 2023, Attorney General Nessel obtained judgments shutting down a massive robocall operation involving Spiller and other defendants. As part of the judgment, Spiller was banned from making robocalls or engaging in telemarketing. But despite this permanent injunction, Spiller continued to harass people by making deceptive and abusive robocalls and by helping others make these calls.
Spiller used aliases and falsified business records filed in various states and with the Federal Communications Commission to continue conducting this illegal business. Further, since the attorneys general sued him and his co-defendants, Spiller has set up at least three new businesses through which he engaged in telemarketing and facilitated robocalls.
Because he violated these bans on robocalling and telemarketing, Nessel and a coalition of seven attorneys general are asking the court to ban Spiller from engaging in all telephone-related services, not just robocalling and telemarketing. That includes transmitting telephone calls over the U.S. telephone network, providing any VoIP services, engaging in text messaging services, and originating or facilitating ringless voicemail messages or any other electronic messages.
The attorneys general are asking that the court order Spiller to dissolve his existing telephone service companies. They also ask that Spiller be ordered to pay $122,339,320 – the amount that would have otherwise been suspended if Spiller had followed the rules of the permanent injunction and the court’s order. Since he failed to do so, he is obligated to pay the full amount.
AG Nessel is joined in filing this motion by the Attorneys General of Arkansas, Indiana, Missouri, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, and Texas.
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