'Complete disregard': Nuisance call blocking company fined £190,000 - for making 750,000 nuisance calls itself

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has fined Elderly Aids Ltd “for bombarding people with the very nuisance calls it claimed to protect them from”.

The company, which was established in 2023 and initially registered in Leicester, deliberately targeted elderly people to promote call-blocking devices, claiming they were trying to protect them from nuisance calls.

The ICO said EAL made 758,053 unsolicited direct marketing calls to people registered with the Telephone Preference Service (TPS) between May 2024 and February 2025, with 20 complaints made to the ICO and TPS during this period.

The complaints revealed that EAL's callers were aggressive, misleading, and often failed to identify themselves. One complainant said: “Overcharging for call blocking services that they aren’t authorised to sell – my father was persuaded to sign up to pay £139 upfront and a £6.99 monthly fee.”

Throughout the ICO’s investigation, EAL repeatedly ignored requests for information and continued making unsolicited calls which led to further complaints.

The company also attempted to strike itself off the Companies House register once it became aware it was under scrutiny and is now registered at a default address in Cardiff.

Andy Curry, Head of Investigations at the ICO, said: “Not only did this company target vulnerable people who had explicitly asked not to be called – they harassed them to sell call-blocking devices. EAL showed a complete disregard for the law and the people they were hounding.

"This penalty should serve as a clear warning to any business that thinks the law does not apply to them - we will hold them to account for both exploiting people in this way and trying to avoid accountability.”

The ICO also issued an enforcement notice ordering EAL to stop making unlawful marketing calls and to comply with caller identification requirements.

It is against the law to make a live marketing call to anyone who is registered with the TPS, unless the individual has informed the specific organisation that they do not object to receiving calls from them.

Russell Roach, Director of Preference Services at the Data & Marketing Association (DMA), said: “People register with the Telephone Preference Service because they want greater control over who can contact them. Cases like this demonstrate why those protections are so important.

“Anyone making live marketing calls must respect the choices people have made about their privacy. When organisations ignore those preferences and contact individuals who have explicitly opted out of receiving unsolicited sales calls, particularly those who are most vulnerable, they undermine consumer trust and risk causing significant nuisance and distress.

“We encourage businesses that want to be seen as responsible marketers to screen their calling lists against the TPS and CTPS registers before carrying out sales and marketing campaigns. Doing so helps ensure they respect consumers' preferences, comply with the rules and avoid causing unnecessary harm or annoyance."