UK Watchdog Fines Businessman for Spam Marketing Texts
The U.K. watchdog agency ICO hit self-employed business executive Bharat Singh Chand with a 200,000 pound ($264,500) fine for sending almost 1 million spam texts about debt solutions and energy savings grants, it announced Wednesday. His actions violated the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003.
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The watchdog also ordered Chand to stop sending marketing messages without the appropriate consent. Chand is appealing the decision, ICO said.
ICO has had its eye on Chand for some time, it said. Among other things, he was sending texts through an associate to provide advice on using a SIM farm, a device capable of holding multiple SIM cards to send hundreds of text messages in quick succession. Chand also gave false company names in follow-up calls, the ICO said.
The watchdog executed a search warrant on June 11, 2024, for Chand's home address in Wales and later concluded that between Dec. 3, 2023, and July 3, 2024, he knowingly and deliberately transmitted or instigated the transmission of nearly 1 million text messages without valid consent. His activities prompted nearly 20,000 complaints via the spam reporting service, the ICO added.
The text messages not only annoyed thousands of people but were clearly targeted at those at greater risk of harm, such as people facing financial hardship, said ICO Head of Investigations Andy Curry.