National Do Not Call Registry: Federal Trade Commission Consumer Information

consumer.ftc.gov

You can reduce the number of unwanted sales calls you get by signing up for the National Do Not Call Registry. It’s free. Visit donotcall.gov to register your number.

Most legitimate companies don’t call if your number is on the Registry. If a company is ignoring the Registry, there’s a good chance that it’s a scam. If you get these calls, hang up and file a complaint with the FTC.

*The Basics

*Stopping Unwanted Calls

*Reporting Illegal Calls

*Details About Registering

*Problems with Registration

*When You Might Need to Register

The Basics:

*Stopping Unwanted Calls

*Reporting Illegal Calls

*Details About Registering

*Problems with Registration

*When You Might Need to Register Again

The Basics:

How do I register?

Add your phone number for free by visiting donotcall.gov or calling 1-888-382-1222 from the phone you want to register (TTY: 1-866-290-4236).

If you register online, you will receive a confirmation email from donotcall.gov. You must click on the link in the email within 72 hours to complete your registration.

How long does it take?

Your phone number should show up on the Registry the next day. Most sales calls will stop once your number has been on the Registry for 31 days. You can verifiy that your number is on the Registry by visiting donotcall.gov or calling 1-888-382-1222.

If I register my number, will ALL unwanted calls stop? No, the Do Not Call Registry prohibits sales calls. You still may receive political call, charitable calls, debt collection calls, information calls and telephone survey calls.

In addition, companies may still call if you’ve recently done business with the company or if you’ve given the company written permission to call you. However, if you ask a company not to call you again, it must honor your request. Record the date of your request.

Stopping Unwanted Calls:

What can I do to stop unwanted calls?

Make sure your number is on the Do Not Call Registry.

Hang up on illegal sales calls. If your number is on the Registry and you get a sales calls or you get an illegal robocall, don’t interact in any way. Don’t press buttons to be take off the call list or to talk to a live person. Doing so will probably lead to more unwanted calls. instead, hang up and file a complaint with the FTC.

Investigate whether call blocking can help.

*If you get repeated illegal calls from one particular number, contact your phone company. Ask to block that number but first ask whether there’s a fee for this service.

*If you get unwanted calls from many different numbers, look into a call blocking solution. There are online call blocking services, call blocking boxes and smartphone apps that block unwanted calls. Research whether the service costs money and whether it’s effective. Do an online search to look for reviews from experts and other users.

My number is on the Registry, so why am I still getting illegal calls?

Since 2009, the FTC has seen a significant increase in the number of illegal sales calls-particularly robocalls. The reason is technology. Internet powered phone systems make it cheap and easy for scammers to make illegal calls from anywhere in the world and to display fake caller ID information, which helps them hide from law enforcement.

What is the FTC doing to stop these calls?

To date, the FTC has sued hundreds of companies and individuals who were responsible for placing unwanted calls and has obtained over a billion dollars in judgments against violators.

In addition, the FTC is leading several initiatives to develop a technology-based solution. The FTC has sponsored a series of robocall contests challenging the tech savvy public to design tools that block robocalls and help investigators track down and stop robocallers. The FTC also is encouraging industry efforts to combat caller ID spoofing.

Disclaimer: This information was taken from the FTC  National Do Not Call Registry pamphlet. Please call the above numbers to be taken off the list or for more information.