ICO still pursuing nuisance callers after record £400k fine
16th May 2017

The Information Commissioner’s Office says it will ‘go on to tracking down companies that blight people’s lives with nuisance calls, texts and emails’ after fining a company a record £400,000 for making nearly 100 million nuisance calls over 18 months.

Keurboom Communications Ltd was issued the fine after more than 1,000 people complained about recorded – also known as automated – calls. Some people received repeat calls, sometimes on the same day and during unsociable hours. The company also hid its identity, making it harder for people to complain.

Steve Eckerlsey, Head of Enforcement at the ICO said: “These calls have now stopped - as has Keurboom - but our work has not. We’ll continue to track down companies that blight people’s lives with nuisance calls, texts and emails.”
During the investigation, the ICO issued seven information notices ordering the company, which is registered in Dunstable, Bedfordshire, to provide information to the regulator. When it failed to comply, Keurboom Communications Ltd and its director, Gregory Rudd, were prosecuted and fined at Luton Magistrates’ Court in April 2016.

Following the ICO’s investigation, Keurboom Communications Ltd has been placed in voluntary liquidation. The ICO is committed to recovering the fine by working with the liquidator and insolvency practitioners. The ICO’s powers will be further strengthened when the government introduces a new law allowing it to fine the company directors behind nuisance call firms. Making directors responsible will stop them avoiding fines by putting their company into liquidation.

In 2016/17, the ICO had its busiest year for nuisance calls issuing 23 companies a total of £1.923 million for nuisance marketing.