A company has been fined £230,000 for making “predatory” marketing calls.

Brighton firm Apex Assurance made over one million calls in a six-month period last year.

The Information Commissioner’s Office, a government office which regulates data privacy, issued the fine after it received 122 complaints from people who said the calls were “misleading” and “aggressive”.

The calls were made to people registered with the Telephone Preference Service, a nationwide "do not call" register which allows people to opt out of unsolicited marketing calls.

All the calls were in relation to white goods insurance.

One person complained on behalf of their elderly father. They said the caller was “trying very hard to sell my vulnerable father insurance for his washing machine and white goods".

They said: “It is completely unsolicited and a very annoying call, especially as my dad can hardly walk.”

They said Apex Assurance should be “ashamed of themselves”, adding: “It made me furious because my father was expecting an important call, and this call not only prevented that vital call but caused him to struggle to the phone just so they could cause annoyance.”

The ICO worked with Brighton Trading Standards when investigating the company.

Apex Assurance was also issued with an enforcement notice which instructed the company to stop making illegal calls within 30 days.

Another complainant said: “I have asked them numerous times to stop phoning. They are so persistent.

“It concerns me that although I realise they are not who they purport to be, elderly or vulnerable people are likely to panic and be caught out.

“They must be stopped from making these unwanted calls.”

The ICO issued over £2.8 million penalties against rogue companies for nuisance calls, texts and emails in the financial year 2021/22 .

It offers advice to people to avoid such predatory marketing calls.

The ICO recommends:

  • Reporting any nuisance calls to the ICO using its online reporting service
  • Referring concerns that you have been a victim of fraud to Action Fraud
  • Speaking to your telephone network to see what call blocking solutions may be available.