When was the last time you got a robocall?

If your phone buzzed today with a spammy auto-dialed message or an unsolicited sales pitch, you’re not alone. In the latest conversation on Business Origin Stories, I sat down with nationally recognized class action attorney Chris Roberts, aka The Class Action Guru, to talk about how everyday consumers can fight back against illegal robocalls, scam texts, and shady telemarketers — and sometimes even get paid for the harassment.

Chris has built a career around holding powerful companies accountable. His insights into little-known federal laws are helping individuals turn nuisance calls into actual compensation. He’s reshaping what it means to be a consumer advocate in the digital age.

From Enforcer to Advocate: Chris’s Origin Story

Before he was going after debt collectors, Chris was working for them.

At the beginning of his legal career, he filed thousands of debt collection lawsuits in Missouri. That experience gave him an inside look at how the system works and ultimately laid the foundation for the work he does now.

After crossing paths with his now-law partner during a motion hearing, Chris made the leap to the other side. He started representing consumers. And his very first cases? Class actions against the same kinds of debt collectors he used to work for.

That shift in perspective is central to how he practices today: empowering the people who are usually overlooked or taken advantage of.

Yes, That Robocall Might
Be Worth $500

Here’s the part that shocked me: under a federal law called the TCPA (Telephone Consumer Protection Act), if a company robocalls or texts you without your written consent, you could be owed $500–$1,500 per message.

That’s not a typo.

And if you’re on the national Do Not Call list, those same rules apply. As Chris explains, the goal is getting these companies to stop. The law was written to make unwanted calls too expensive to continue.

So while two or three texts might not seem like a big deal, that’s exactly where a class action can make a difference, especially if thousands of other people were targeted by the same campaign.

What to Do If You’re Getting Illegal Calls or Texts

Chris shared a few key steps for documenting and building a potential case:

• Save voicemails and screenshots of texts

• Note the date, time, and company name (if known)

• If you answer, act interested long enough to get their info — then clearly say you don’t want to be contacted again

• Check your registration at donotcall.gov

These calls often come from spoofed numbers, so identifying the actual company can take a little sleuthing, but that effort can pay off.

Ethical Marketing Starts
with Boundaries

We also talked about how legitimate businesses end up on the wrong side of this law. The biggest culprit? Bad lead generation practices.

Chris sees it all the time: companies buying phone numbers from sketchy lead providers who claim they got consent. But 90% of the time, the evidence doesn’t hold up. And even reputable businesses can get into trouble if they’re not vetting their marketing partners.

His advice to business owners:

• Test your text opt-out system

• Make sure your platform follows TCPA rules

• Get proper insurance and indemnification from vendors

In his words, these lawsuits don’t punish good businesses. They level the playing field.

Want to learn more or work with Chris? Visit classactionguru.com or find him on TikTok at @classactionlawyer — where he’s built a massive following educating consumers on their rights.

🎧 And if you want to check out this whole conversation, you can find it on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.