Norwalk-based Frontier Communications Corp. has filed a lawsuit accusing a Wyoming communications carrier of helping scammers bombard Frontier’s customers with robocalls.
In a statement released Tuesday, Frontier said Mobi Telecom and its sole officer, Davinder Singh, “do nothing to curb robocaller activity on their networks” and instead “encourage and profit from it.”
Those actions have led to customers terminating their services due to annoyance over the frequency and content of the messages, including well-known advertisements for fraudulent auto warranty programs, according to Frontier.
In response, the company is suing Mobi, Singh and other unidentified parties in federal district court, alleging unfair trade practices and tortious interference.
Mobi could not be immediately reached for comment on the lawsuit Tuesday morning.
Frontier officials said they first became aware of Mobi’s alleged conduct after tracing robocalls reported by customers back to Mobi. Mobi did not respond to inquiries concerning the origins of those calls, the lawsuit states, and refuses to implement robocall mitigation measures because the company actually works “on behalf of robocallers” as part of a “symbiotic relationship” in which they profit from scam calls.
The complaint also accused Mobi of using various ruses to get customers to answer robocalls, including “spoofing” phone numbers to make it appear that scam calls are actually legitimate and local.
“In recent years our customers have felt increasingly harassed by these calls,” said Frontier Chief Legal and Regulatory Counsel Mark Nielsen. “Many have signed up for ‘Do Not Call’ lists, yet still receive these unwanted disturbances. We see this lawsuit as a step towards helping our customers regain some sense of peace and quiet from the onslaught of scam robocalls.”
Frontier is requesting damages in an amount to be determined at trial, including punitive damages, a permanent injunction and its attorneys’ fees.
