The Associated Press

FRANKFORT - Attorney General Ben Chandler's office has filed suit against two companies, alleging they made unwanted telephone solicitations to Kentuckians.

The suits, which come nearly one year after the state's no-call law took effect, are filed against Fax.com Inc. of Aliso Viejo, Calif., and JJJ Marketing Inc. of Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Chandler is seeking $100,000 in fines.

The attorney general's office has registered more than 780,000 Kentucky phone numbers - the majority in the state - since the law took hold in July 2002. More than $500,000 has been collected in 94 enforcement actions. Four lawsuits are pending.

"Kentucky is now known as the place to stay away from if you're a telemarketer," said Brian Wright, communications director for Chandler's office.

Complaints to Chandler's office have dropped 90 percent since the law was enacted.

Wright said 4,000 people signed up the day the federal government launched the National Do Not Call Registry on June 27. Since then, more than 23 million phone numbers have been added to the registry.

Chandler's office filed the lawsuit against JJJ Marketing in Campbell Circuit Court. It alleges the Florida company sent recorded messages promoting free or discounted vacation deals to numbers on the no-call list.

The Fax.com suit, filed in Jefferson Circuit Court, claims the California firm sent unsolicited faxes to residential phone numbers on Kentucky's no-call list.

Both companies were unavailable for comment.