Telemarketers working with Grand Bahama Cruise Line pitched free vacations.

Source: www.ftc.gov

Three individuals and a telephone call center that helped Florida-based Grand Bahama Cruise Line LLC (GBCL) and others to make millions of illegal robocalls to consumers settled a Federal Trade Commission complaint and are permanently barred from making telemarketing robocalls.

The FTC will litigate in federal court against GBCL and six other defendants involved in the massive operation, who have not agreed to settle.

"This case shows the FTC's sustained effort to tackle illegal robocall operations that bombard consumers with unsolicited calls," said Andrew Smith, Director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection. "It also demonstrates that anyone who provides substantial assistance to illegal robocall operations may be liable for substantial civil penalties."

According to the FTC's complaint, the defendants involved in the GBCL operation made or facilitated millions of illegal calls to consumers nationwide pitching free cruise vacations between Florida and the Bahamas. Starting in 2014, the defendants operated their own in-house call center, employing telemarketers to contact consumers nationwide.

Proposed settlement orders against the defendants ban them from robocalling, including assisting others in making robocalls. The orders also bar the defendants from violating the Telemarketing Sales Rule. The orders impose judgments totaling more than $7.8 million, which are suspended because of the defendants' inability to pay.