Two companies to pay $110,000 after robocalling Pennsylvanians, AG Shapiro says

Two companies will collectively pay $110,000 to settle allegations that they bombarded Pennsylvanians with illegal telemarketing and robocalls, the state Attorney General’s Office said Tuesday.

Yodel Technologies, based in Florida, agreed to pay $70,000 after it called consumers on the Do-Not-Call list and placed calls with pre-recorded messages, the Attorney General’s Office said. As part of the agreement filed in Allegheny County on Monday, 40 consumers will each receive $100.

In addition, LifeEnergy, a Texas company, must pay $40,000 after it placed illegal calls with pre-recorded messages, according to the Attorney General. The settlement, filed Friday in Erie County, will give 24 consumers $100 each.

In a statement, LifeEnergy said it “engaged in a cooperative effort with the Attorney General’s Office to amicably resolve this matter and continues to maintain that it did nothing unlawful.”

Yodel Technologies did not return a request for comment.

Under the settlements, each company agreed to stop their unlawful practices and pay civil penalties and costs. Consumers who filed complaints with the Attorney General can receive up to $100 in remittance under Pennsylvania’s Telemarketer Registration Act.

“We’re dialing up every legal action possible to block these calls and protect Pennsylvania consumers,” Attorney General Josh Shapiro said in a statement.

There were 4.7 billion robocalls placed in the U.S. in May, including more than 173 million in Pennsylvania, according to YouMail, a robocall-blocking software company.