The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) reported receiving over 193,000 monthly robocall complaints as of its last report. Harassing robocalls and spam text messages are the agency’s top consumer complaint, and third-party agencies estimate that nearly 55 billion unwanted robocalls occur each year in the United States.
The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) prohibits most unsolicited robocalls, but registered charities are generally exempt from the TCPA. Political campaigns may also cling to certain robocall exceptions. Discuss unwanted political or charitable robocalls with dedicated TCPA protection lawyer Jibrael S. Hindi.
The TCPA generally prohibits unsolicited robocalls, referred to as calls made via an automatic telephone dialing system. These protections extend to landlines, business lines, and cell phones. Courts have further determined that the TCPA covers spam text messages. To qualify as a telephone solicitation subject to the TCPA, the call must involve the purchase, rental, and/or investment in property, goods, or services. This definition does not directly cover charitable contributions or investments in persons, such as politicians, but you might still have certain protections against these unwanted robocalls.
The TCPA has certain limitations that charities and political campaigns may exploit. These include the following:
Although political calls to cell phones require prior consent, political robocalls to landlines are permitted even if you register with the National Do Not Call Registry. Campaigns may make political robocalls to landlines but may not do so more than three times within any consecutive 30-day period.
Many organizations claim to be charitable but might not have the right tax-exempt status. Overseas scammers might also attempt to harass you by claiming they’re not subject to the TCPA. If you receive unsolicited political robocalls or texts to a cell phone or multiple AI-generated landline messages, a consumer protection lawyer might help you recover financial damages and stop further harassment.
Individuals may bring private or class action lawsuits against the robocaller. If successful, you might recover actual monetary damages or $500 for each violation, whichever is greater. This means you can demand $500 for each unsolicited call or unlawful text message.
The Law Offices of Jibrael S. Hindi have recovered millions of dollars for consumers with valid robocall harassment claims under the TCPA. Our consumer protection professionals might help you understand your right to compensation if an alleged charity or political campaign violates federal law. Discuss robocalls and spam texts with our TCPA team today by calling (844) 542-7235 or contacting us online for free.