Report Illegal Telemarketing and Robocalls in the U.S.

Recorded calls, also known as robocalls, and unsolicited telemarketing calls are annoying. They may also be illegal. Once you have requested to be excluded from telemarketing calls, you can report illegal ones. Here is how to tell the difference and what you can do about it if you're receiving illegal calls.

Steps

  1. Add Your Name on to the National Do Not Call Registry. Follow the link and follow the instructions. It is a quick, free process that should eliminate most telemarketing calls and DOES NOT EXPIRE.
  2. Wait 31 days. This is the grace period that organizations have to synchronize their lists with the Do Not Call registry. Once you know you're on the Do Not Call registry, you shouldn't receive any more calls from telemarketers. Companies are supposed to check the registry every 31 days and scrub registered numbers from their calling databases.[1]
  3. Familiarize yourself with what the Do Not Call registry does and does not cover. The Do Not Call registry is for for-profit, interstate calls for the purpose of commercial marketing. It does not cover calls from the following:
    • volunteers from charitable organizations.
    • political calls.
    • companies with which you already do business. For companies with which you already do business, you can ask them not to call you. Keep a record of when you make the request.
    • calls for the sole purpose of taking a survey.
    • Debt collectors may also continue to call, but beware of debt collection scams and zombie debt.
  4. Record the date and time of inappropriate calls you receive. Record the phone number from which they were received, and any other caller ID information. Also record why they were inappropriate. Make a note of whether the call was a recording (robocall).
    • Review the FTC's website if you are uncertain who may and may not call you after you are registered.[2]
  5. Report illegal telemarketing. If non-exempt companies or organizations continue to call you after you have been in the Do Not Call registry for at least 31 days, you may file a complaint. You can file a complaint with donotcall.gov, or with your state attorney general.[1] Follow the link to the FTC's complaint form and follow the instructions to step through it. [3]
  6. Be vigilant and persistent. There are other ways to seek justice if you find your complaint doesn't seem to result in anything and if you're of a determined mindset. Amy Alkon has documented her experience in dealing with invasive telemarketers in her book I see rude people. She says that action being taken against telemarketers is "unlikely", given that out of almost three million complaints registered against telemarketers, the FTC and Justice Department had managed about 25 cases by the time of publication of her book in 2010.[1] Her personal solution is invoicing the telemarketers for her time and energy, and even going to the small claims court. If you have the time and persistence, and you have kept excellent records, you might want to consider her method. She suggests that you: invoice them by letter or email, document their reason for calling you and asking for payment for your time. She also blogs about telemarketing experiences, which is something you might like to consider if you're a blogger.
    • If you want to go so far as to sue a telemarketer yourself, check out sites such as DianaMey.com and KillTheCalls.com for helpful information on what to do and for other people's experiences. Be aware that this route is not for the timid!

Tips

  • The ban on robocalls went into effect on September 1, 2009, with new, stricter rules added since then.
  • Even if a company has an established business relationship with you, sales-related robocalls are not permitted. [4]
  • Recorded announcements (such as a notification from your dentist, airline, or library) are legal. If you are getting such calls and they are bothering you, contact the business or organization phoning and ask to change your preferences.
  • If you believe you are being treated unfairly by debt collectors, or that debt collection calls are a scam, learn your rights regarding debt collectors [5], and then file a complaint against the debt collector. [6]
  • Hang up immediately as soon as you are aware you have picked up a robocall, and do not press any numbers, even if they claim to put you through to a person. Doing so may indicate that yours is a number worth calling back.
  • Before returning missed calls from an unknown number, search for the number in a database such as 800 Notes, or another reverse lookup service. Often, numbers are reported there which are marketers, robocalls, scams, etc. You can also report numbers there of incoming calls.
  • Report phone scams to the FTC.They are most likely to take action if you have been a victim of the scam, but they should have the information, regardless.[7]
  • Reports can also be made to the FCC. You can make a report to them online at fcc.gov or by calling 1-888-CALL-FCC. [8]
  • Find out if your smartphone has a Block-a-Phone-Number, and add numbers from unwanted calls to it. Some phone companies can also block selected numbers, although some require a fee for this service.

Warnings

  • Hang up on robocalls. Do not press any numbers, not to get to a person, or get taken off the list. Entering any numbers lets the other end know it has reached a person.
  • If you call at the home of a company CEO with the intent of complaining about their telemarketing, Amy Alkon recommends that you only call publicly listed numbers and that you call no more than once to avoid charges of harassment.[9] Also, be polite.
  • Illegal calls are frequently scams. If you think a call you received was a scam, use the FTC's complaint assistant [7] to report it, and do not give out information to the scammers.
  • Other companies and organizations are not permitted to represent the FTC or place people on the Do Not Call list on their behalf. If you receive a call offering to provide this service for you, it is almost certainly a scam. [10]

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Amy Alkon, I see rude people, p. 149, (2010), ISBN 978-0-07-160021-7
  2. ↑ https://www.donotcall.gov/faq/faqbusiness.aspx
  3. ↑ https://complaints.donotcall.gov/complaint/complaintcheck.aspx?panel=2
  4. ↑ "Tired of Robocalls? Here's help" Consumer Reports, March 2014, p.7
  5. ↑ http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/moneymatters/dealing-with-debt-collection.shtml
  6. ↑ https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/GettingStarted#crnt
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/#&panel1-1
  8. ↑ https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/robocalls
  9. ↑ Amy Alkon, I see rude people, p. 151, (2010), ISBN 978-0-07-160021-7
  10. ↑ http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/alerts/alt107.shtm

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