FTC Lets Telemarketers Slide on $15.7M

ATLANTA (CN) - Two telemarketers agreed to FTC demands that they post a $5 million bond before calling consumers with pitches for "free" products, and promised not to bill people again for stuff they didn't order and don't want. But a $15.7 million judgment against the defendants - Direct Connection Consulting dba Sure Touch Long Distance, Digicom dba DigiTouch Long Distance, Elliott Borenstein and JoAnn (Jody) Winter - was suspended because they can't afford to pay it, the FTC said.

In a news release announcing the settlement, the FTC said, "the settling defendants are subject to a monetary judgment of $15,707,917.86, which has been suspended in part due to their inability to pay. The settling defendants have been ordered to turn over assets worth approximately $1.3 million, including proceeds that will be received from the sale of two aircraft. The remainder of the judgment will become due if the defendants are later found to have misrepresented their financial condition. The settling defendants also are prohibited from distributing their customer information."

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