The companies, Rising Eagle Capital Group LLC and JSquared Telecom LLC, are behind a flood of robocalls offering extending car warranties and health care services, the federal lawsuit alleges.
Yost's new Robocall Enforcement Unit is handling Ohio's portion of the case.
“Thanks to thousands of watchful Ohioans, we’re taking the fight to a source of these pestilent robocalls,” Yost said. “Every call you report represents an important piece of evidence that can help us build cases like this one. Keep ‘em coming.”
The Robocall Enforcement Unit received more than 70 complaints that were tied to Rising Eagle and JSquared, Yost said. John Spiller II, owner of the two companies, and his business partner, Jakob Mears, are also named in the lawsuit.
The businesses illegally engaged in caller ID spoofing to mislead and defraud victims, Yost said evidence shows. They also allegedly targeted phones on the National Do Not Call Registry and played prerecorded messages without prior consent from call recipients, according to the attorney general.
Ohio joined Arkansas, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina and Texas in the lawsuit, claiming Rising Eagle and JSquared violated the federal Telephone Consumer Protection Act and state consumer protection laws. The suit was filed in U.S. District Court for Southern Texas.
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The action seeks civil penalties and a permanent injunction to stop the defendants from violating state and federal law.
To report unwanted robocalls, Ohioans can contact the Robocall Enforcement Unit by texting “ROBO” to 888111, visiting OhioProtects.org or calling 1-800-282-0515.