MetLife Inc. will be out $23 million because one of its former top salesmen allegedly violated federal law by blasting junk faxes to as many as 2.8 million recipients in an effort to drum up more business.

That is the amount the life insurer has agreed to pay to settle Illinois and Florida class actions accusing it of violating the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, a measure that outlaws the sending of faxes lacking prominently placed instructions for opting-out of such communications.