Florida marketing company banned from sending junk mail to Pennsylvanians

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- A Florida marketing company was banned from sending advertisements to Pennsylvanians after a settlement over junk mail, the state attorney general announced on Friday. 

Investigators with the state said RMC Direct Mail Services sent mailers with false representations to frighten, pressure and mislead recipients into responding, using language like "final notice" or "signature required." Some of the mailers looked like checks and others appeared to be from the IRS, but all of them were deemed junk mail advertisements by the Office of Attorney General. 

As part of the settlement, RMC Direct Mail Services is banned from creating or disseminating ads of any kind to Pennsylvania residents. The company also has to pay for the state's investigative costs and penalties. 

"This marketing company has sent its last piece of junk mail to Pennsylvanians," said Attorney General Michelle Henry in a press release. "Junk mail typically can cause inconvenience and annoyance, but this company went beyond, startling recipients with urgent messaging and false representations."

The mailers created a fake sense of urgency by saying things like "time sensitive" and "immediate response," the attorney general's office said. Sometimes they looked like they were related to a mortgage lender or vehicle manufacturer or they implied there was a warranty about to expire, regardless of whether the consumer even had a warranty. They also contained barcodes with no meaning and had "registration fee vouchers" that had all the hallmarks of a check but weren't actually checks. 

Anyone who received a misleading mailer can file a complaint with the Bureau of Consumer Protection online, by emailing bscams@attorneygeneral.gov or by calling 1-800-441-2555.