PHOENIX — A group of Valley companies have been ordered to pay $902,000 in civil penalties and legal fees for engaging in deceptive practices by leaving "phony" delivery slips on the doorsteps of Arizona homeowners.
The Arizona Attorney General's Office announced Wednesday it had obtained a judgment against Matthew Willes and his multiple Valley companies after years of litigation in court.
The judgment determined the defendants had committed "unlawful practices" by distributing over 330,000 door tags to new homeowners in Arizona since 2017.
The tags contained a "Sorry We Missed You" caption and a phone number for the homeowner to call. If the resident called the number, then they were instructed to click on a link in a text message where they would unknowingly consent to receive telephone solicitations.
After obtaining the resident's personal information, the defendants would sell their information to third-party companies, the AG's office said.
“Mr. Willes and his companies went to great lengths to manipulate unsuspecting consumers into providing personal information and agreeing to receive telemarketing solicitations,” Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes said in a statement.
The defendants additionally maintained websites to create the appearance that they were a legitimate delivery service.
Court records show over 60,000 consumers called the defendants in response to the door tags.
Under the administration of former Attorney General Mark Brnovich, the AG's office filed a consumer fraud lawsuit against the companies in March 2020. A Maricopa County judge issued a judgment against the defendants earlier this summer.
The judgment prohibits the companies from continuing to engage in these types of business practices.
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