If you got a spam phone call congratulating you on winning a free cruise, you could be eligible for up to $900 in restitution, according to The Sacramento Bee.
The reason? A class action lawsuit against Resort Marketing Group, called Charvat v. Carnival et al, which claims that Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian Cruise Line authorized Resort Marketing Group to make "robocalls" to offer people free cruises between July 2009 and March 2014. According to the lawsuit, these calls may have violated the FCC's Telephone Consumer Protection Act.
In July, the plaintiff reached a settlement that will create a fund of between $7 million and $12.5 million for those who got the spam calls, according to the Bee. You can get a maximum of $300 for each call, and you can claim up to three calls for each phone number (for a total of $900).
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To see if your phone number is part of the settlement and file a claim, as well as to read more information about the lawsuit, you can check this site. You have until November 3, 2017.
Earlier this year, we reported on the increasing amount of spam calls everyone seems to be getting these days. So, if you've been getting calls from random numbers on your cell phone, rest assured that it isn't just you. A recent survey by mobile-solution company First Orion of over 1,000 cell phone users found that 60% have received a scam call within the past month alone. According to the survey, four times as many people got 21 or more scam calls within the past six months compared to 2015. About 94% of respondents received telemarketing calls this year, which is up 80% from 2015.
If you're getting too many spam calls, you can add your phone number to the National Do Not Call Registry. Read more tips for avoiding those pesky calls here.