The call centres appear to have contacted consumers with offers to activate energy and phone service contracts, based on misleading information regarding the caller’s identity, the reason for the call and the financial benefits of the proposed offers

The Italian Competition Authority has launched, also thanks to the investigative activities carried out by the Italian Financial Police (Guardia di Finanza), seven proceedings into call centre companies promoting energy contracts – Action S.r.l., Fire S.r.l., J.Wolf Consulting S.r.l. and Noma Trade S.r.l. – and contracts in the telecommunications sector – Entiende S.r.l., Nova Group S.r.l and My Phone S.r.l..

The intervention seeks to tackle unfair telemarketing – a pressing issue for the Authority, which receives daily complaints from consumers about calls promoting contracts based on misleading information. It seems that the call centres under investigation contacted consumers with offers to activate energy and phone service contracts, based on misleading information regarding the caller’s identity, the reason for the call and the financial benefits of the proposed offers. In many cases, the calls appear to have originated from disguised numbers using a technique known as CLI spoofing, which allows the caller ID to be falsified. Various telemarketing methods were reportedly used, all involving the transmission of unclear and misleading information.

In the energy sector, it seems that telemarketing operators often pose as staff from the consumer’s current supplier or as officials from regulatory or supervisory bodies, claiming that existing tariffs are no longer competitive. Other times, they are said to cite technical complications or switching-related problems to persuade consumers to sign a new supply agreement.

In the telecommunications sector, callers trying to convince consumers to switch operators allegedly make false claims regarding service disruptions or imminent price increases from the consumer’s current provider. In some cases, consumers are reportedly persuaded to sign a new contract – either with a new operator or their existing one – following promises of highly favourable contract terms later found to be false.

The Authority highlights that, together with the Italian Regulatory Authority for Energy, Networks and Environment (ARERA), it has launched the “Difenditi così” campaign to inform consumers about their rights and ways to protect themselves from persistent and aggressive telemarketing. Further information is available on www.difenditicosi.it. The Authority’s free consumer helpline is also available at 800.166.661 (Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.).

An inspection at the premises of the companies under investigation was carried out yesterday with the assistance of the Special Antitrust Unit of the Italian Financial Police (Guardia di Finanza). In this regard, the President of the Authority, Roberto Rustichelli, stated: “I express my sincere appreciation for the work carried out by the men and women of the Special Antitrust Unit and the local units of the Italian Financial Police in the provinces of Naples and Caserta”.

Rome, 23 May 2025