An increasing number of Americans are taking legal action after receiving unwanted automated phone calls and prerecorded messages. These calls, often made to the wrong numbers, are now at the center of a growing wave of proposed TCPA class actions.
With millions of people receiving unwanted or misdirected calls each month, consumer advocates say the trend highlights a serious issue: widespread TCPA violations by companies across multiple industries.
Unwanted Robocalls on the Rise
According to data from YouMail, a visual voicemail and spam-blocking service, 40.8 billion robocalls were made in the first nine months of 2025, reported CBS News. That figure is a 5% increase from the same period the year before.
Many of these unwanted calls may constitute illegal robocalls under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), a federal law enacted in 1991 to curb abusive telemarketing practices.
The TCPA prohibits businesses from using automated dialing systems or delivering prerecorded voice (including artificial intelligence) messages to cell phones without the recipient’s prior express written consent. When companies contact the wrong person or fail to obtain permission, consumers may have grounds to file a TCPA class action lawsuit or a prerecorded voice message lawsuit to recover compensation for TCPA violations.
What a TCPA Lawsuit Is About
Current robocall investigations center on consumers who allegedly received prerecorded or automated calls that were clearly intended for someone else. These wrong-number communications are more than an inconvenience—they may violate federal law.
A wrong number robocall lawsuit may allege that companies, creditors, and debt collectors are placing calls to numbers that have been reassigned to new users or entered incorrectly in databases. In many cases, the recipients never had a relationship with the company contacting them, and did not provide consent to receive such calls.
Under the TCPA, a violation may allow statutory damages of up to $500 per call, or up to $1,500 per call for willful or knowing violations. That means even a small number of unwanted calls can quickly add up to significant compensation.
Who Is Eligible to Join or File a TCPA Claim
Consumers may be eligible to participate in a TCPA class action lawsuit if they:
- Received a recorded or prerecorded voice message on their cell phone that was intended for another person.
- Never provided consent to receive automated calls or messages from the company involved.
Individuals who meet these criteria may have a cell phone TCPA claim and could recover financial damages through a consumer protection lawsuit. Consumers often document each incident. Consider speaking with an attorney about your specific situation.
Why Wrong Number Robocalls Happen
Wrong-number calls frequently occur when companies fail to update customer information or continue to dial numbers reassigned by carriers. Although these mistakes are often preventable, they can still amount to TCPA violations if automated systems are used without the called party’s consent.
Businesses, creditors, and telemarketers are expected to maintain accurate contact records and implement reassignment tracking tools. When they don’t, consumers can pay the price through constant unwanted interruptions.
The TCPA provides potential remedies, including statutory damages, in qualifying cases.
Recent TCPA Class Action Settlements
Recent settlements illustrate how private litigation has addressed alleged TCPA violations across industries:
- Fuld v. American Income Life Insurance Co.: A $14 million settlement resolved claims that the company made unsolicited sales calls to almost 50,000 numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry.
- Truong v. Truist Bank: Truist agreed to a $4.1 million settlement in a prerecorded voice message lawsuit, covering thousands of consumers who allegedly received automated calls about unrelated bank accounts.
- Johnson v. Comodo Group, Inc.: The cybersecurity company paid $1.625 million to settle claims it sent prerecorded telemarketing messages without consent.
- Marden’s Ark Corp. v. UnitedHealth Group Inc.: UnitedHealth reached a $1.8 million settlement over claims it sent prerecorded calls made to non-members.
- Niemczyk v. Pro Custom Solar LLC (Momentum Solar): Momentum Solar agreed to pay up to $30 million for alleged illegal robocalls to consumers across the United States.
- Shutler v. Citizens Disability LLC: The company settled for $320,000 after being accused of placing automated calls to over 3,000 people without permission.
These cases demonstrate how widespread TCPA class action lawsuits have become, covering industries from finance to health care to solar energy. Each case reinforces the law’s role in holding businesses accountable for the misuse of consumer contact data.
How to File a TCPA Lawsuit or Join an Existing One
For those affected by unwanted automated calls, it’s important to gather as much documentation as possible before pursuing a TCPA class action lawsuit or individual claim. Helpful records include:
- The date and time of each call
- Screenshots or call logs showing the incoming number
- Any voicemail recordings or saved messages
- Notes from any live conversations, including the caller’s company name
Once evidence is collected, individuals can either file a claim through an existing lawsuit or initiate their own case. Some resources describe small-claims options for individual disputes (see LegalClarity), but consumers should seek legal advice for their circumstances. The process involves filing a formal complaint, serving notice to the defendant company, and waiting for court review.
Protecting Your Rights Against Robocalls
Robocalls are common, and many are unlawful unless an exception applies (for example, consent or certain emergency calls). The Telephone Consumer Protection Act gives individuals the right to demand accountability from businesses that violate federal law. If you’ve received repeated or misdirected automated calls, you could qualify for wrong-number call compensation under an active consumer protection lawsuit.
If you believe your rights under the TCPA have been violated, document your calls and explore your options. You may be eligible to join a pending TCPA class action lawsuit or file your own claim for compensation.
For plain-English updates on TCPA investigations, visit OnlyClassActions.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
It’s a lawsuit filed under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act that allows multiple consumers to seek compensation for unwanted automated or prerecorded calls.
Each TCPA violation can be worth $500 to $1,500, depending on whether it was intentional.
Anyone who received automated or prerecorded calls to their cell phone without consent may qualify.
No. Emergency alerts or calls made with prior consent are allowed. However, unsolicited marketing or debt collection calls without consent typically violate the law.
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