12/05/2017

A company that made 99.5m automated calls over 18 months on a wide range of topics including PPI compensation and road traffic accidents has been fined £400,000 by the Information Commissioner’s Office – a record penalty for a firm making ‘nuisance’ calls (‘Keurboom Communications Ltd monetary penalty notice’)

In addition to making automatic calls to people who had not given consent as required by law, Keurboom Marketing Limited, which is registered in Dunstable, Beds, called people repeatedly, sometimes on the same day and during unsociable hours. It also hid its identity, making it harder for people to complain – although more than 1,000 did.

The size of the fine reflects the company’s scant regard for the rules. During the ICO’s investigation, it also refused to comply with 7 notices ordering it to provide information.

After receiving the penalty, the company was placed in voluntary liquidation. The ICO is currently working with the liquidator to recover the fine from the directors.

In 2016/17 the ICO had its busiest year for nuisance calls, issuing issued £1.923m penalties for nuisance marketing to 23 companies.