A nationwide telemarketer of mortgage loans has been sued by the Federal Trade Commission for allegedly calling people whose numbers are listed on the National Do Not Call Registry, and doing so without identifying itself, the FTC said Monday.

The FTC is seeking civil penalties and an injunction against the telemarketer for alleged violations of the FTC’s Telemarketing Sales Rule, the agency said. This is the Commission’s first case alleging transmission of false caller ID information, according to the agency.

According to the FTC complaint, Srikanth Venkataraman, formerly of New Jersey, has been doing business as Scorpio Systems Ltd., selling mortgage loans, refinancing, and other products and services.

Attempts to reach Venkataraman for comment were unsuccessful.

The complaint was filed at the FTC’s request by the U. S. Department of Justice in U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey on April 26, 2006.

The FTC alleged that Scorpio called numbers on the Do Not Call Registry, failed to transmit its telephone number and name to consumers’ caller identification service, and failed to pay the fee required to access the Registry.

The telemarketer allegedly transmitted either no caller ID or a phony caller ID – 234-567-8923 – and, as a result, consumers were unable to contact the telemarketer to stop unwanted telemarketing calls, the FTC said.

***

Send tips or a Letter to the Editor to janis@inman.com or call (510) 658-9252, ext. 140.

Show Comments Hide Comments
Sign up for Inman’s Morning Headlines
What you need to know to start your day with all the latest industry developments
By submitting your email address, you agree to receive marketing emails from Inman.
Success!
Thank you for subscribing to Morning Headlines.
Back to top
Only 3 days left to register for Inman Connect Las Vegas before prices go up! Don't miss the premier event for real estate pros.Register Now ×
Limited Time Offer: Get 1 year of Inman Select for $199SUBSCRIBE×
Log in
If you created your account with Google or Facebook
Don't have an account?
Forgot your password?
No Problem

Simply enter the email address you used to create your account and click "Reset Password". You will receive additional instructions via email.

Forgot your username? If so please contact customer support at (510) 658-9252

Password Reset Confirmation

Password Reset Instructions have been sent to

Subscribe to The Weekender
Get the week's leading headlines delivered straight to your inbox.
Top headlines from around the real estate industry. Breaking news as it happens.
15 stories covering tech, special reports, video and opinion.
Unique features from hacker profiles to portal watch and video interviews.
Unique features from hacker profiles to portal watch and video interviews.
It looks like you’re already a Select Member!
To subscribe to exclusive newsletters, visit your email preferences in the account settings.
Up-to-the-minute news and interviews in your inbox, ticket discounts for Inman events and more
1-Step CheckoutPay with a credit card
By continuing, you agree to Inman’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

You will be charged . Your subscription will automatically renew for on . For more details on our payment terms and how to cancel, click here.

Interested in a group subscription?
Finish setting up your subscription
×