Attorney General's News Release

February 19, 2003

Nixon obtains $275,000 in largest No Call settlement in U.S. to date; total No Call money collected tops $1 million

Jefferson City, Mo. —Attorney General Jay Nixon today announced he has obtained the largest settlement in the country with a telemarketer for violations of a No Call law. ADT Security Systems Inc., a nationwide home security company based in Boca Raton, Fla., and 23 of its authorized dealers will pay $275,000 under a consent judgment approved Tuesday afternoon (Feb. 18) by St. Louis City Circuit Judge Thomas C. Grady.

The settlement brings the total Nixon has collected for No Call violations to $1,027,500 since July 2001, when the law took effect.

Nixon sued ADT in August 2001 after his office received more than 200 complaints from Missourians on the state's No Call list about telemarketing calls they received from ADT and its authorized dealers.

"When people sign up for the No Call list, they are saying 'don't call us' in no uncertain terms," Nixon said. "This historic settlement sends the message around the country that telemarketers who violate our No Call law can pay huge consequences. The alarm bells should have been going off at ADT on this one."

The $275,000 from ADT and its dealers is four times larger than the previous largest settlement under Missouri law, which involved Nixon obtaining $75,000 from the Florida company that operated the Miss Cleo psychic hotline in August 2001.

More than 1,137,000 residential phone numbers are on the No Call list, representing an estimated 2.8 million Missourians.

To register, Missourians can go to the Attorney General's Web site to sign up online or call toll-free 1-866-NOCALL 1 (1-866-662-2551). Registration is free. No Call Team members also can visit the Web site to get a complaint form or call the toll-free number to register complaints about telemarketers who violate the law.

Nixon is supporting legislation (HB 157) in the Missouri House of Representatives introduced by Rep. Rick Johnson, of High Ridge, that would close several loopholes in the No Call law, particularly those that still allow telephone companies and other businesses to call those on the No Call list. The bill has been assigned to a House committee.

Inquiries from consumers should be directed to consumer@ago.mo.gov or 1-800-392-8222 (from within Missouri) or 573-751-3321 (outside Missouri).

All media inquiries should be directed to Press Secretary John Fougere.

E-mail      Phone: 573-751-8844         Fax: 573-751-5818