SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Department of Commerce and the Utah Attorney General’s Office announced Thursday that a settlement has been reached to close a phone scam that has reached millions in the state.
The scam run by Associated Community Services has raised more than $ 110 million since 2008 on misleading sites claiming to support homeless veterans, breast cancer patients, children with autism and other causes. Instead, the company kept as much as 90 cents of every dollar they asked for.
A total of 1.3 billion illegal robo calls have been made, reaching 67 million consumers across the country.
Utah offices have joined the Federal Trade Commission and 46 agencies from 38 states and the District of Columbia to end the operation.
‘Utahns annually contribute more of their income to charity than any other state. The ethics of service to others is a core part of our state’s identity, ”Utah Attorney General Sean D. Reyes and Director of Commerce Margaret W. Busse said in a joint statement. . “Protecting citizens from charity fraud allows Utahns to give up business with the confidence that their donation will help the needy, not cover the pockets of the corrupt.”