FTC Wins Judgment $4.7 Million Involving Canadian Telemarketer

The Federal Trade Commission has been awarded a $4.7 million judgment against a Canadian citizen, John Raymond Salvator Bezeredi, in a case involving telemarketing activity that targeted U.S. citizens.

The judgment issued by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington State found that Bezeredi violated the FTC Act, Telemarketing Sales Rule and federal Do-Not-Call list regulations. His telemarketing activities encouraged consumers to pay advance fees to be entered into monthly drawings.

Bezeredi has been ordered to pay $4.7 million to the FTC for consumer redress. The court also prohibited him from transferring his customer lists to anyone else.

According to the FTC's complaint, Bezeredi pitched bogus bond offers, in addition to phoning consumers on the National Do-Not-Call Registry, which is maintained jointly by the FTC and the Federal Communications Commission.