Question: I just received a call from a friend telling me that starting tomorrow telemarketers would begin calling cell phones and the users would be charged for the calls. The way to avoid the calls and the charges is to call 1-888-382-1222. These are usually a scam or a hoax and I was wondering if you knew anything about it? Thanks.
Answer: Not True. If they do, they are in trouble! The government states that it is not necessary to register your cell phone number on the DNC Registry.
The truth about cell phones and the DNC Registry is:
- The government will not release your cell phone number to telemarketers
- You will NOT soon be getting telemarketing calls on your cell phone.
- There is NOT a deadline in which you have to register a cell phone number in the Do Not Call Registry.
- The FCC prohibits telemarketers from using automated dialers to call cell phone numbers.
- There is only ONE DNC Registry. There is no separate registry for cell phones.
I don’t know if 1-888-382-1222 is a valid number, but you can call 1-877-382-4357 use the complaint form at http://www.ftc.gov.
I have received (2) txt msgs from these folks in the past few days!
If telemarketers are calling your cell phone number, it is most likely because you gave your number away, on a website, on a form, to a contest, to something where they harvested the information for use in marketing calls. The easiest way to avoid this, is to not give your info away. Nevertheless, lots of information exists on almost everybody, and is easily accessible. All of that info was given voluntarily by you to various data houses.
Random dialing is inefficient marketing, and only the dumbest of marketers/spammers choose this route. Most direct marketing, whether by mail, phone, or internet is very targeted. Meaning that you fit a certain profile of people likely to purchase the product or service.
I do not want anyone calling me on my cell to sell anything. I only have one for emergencies.
1-888-382-1222 is a valid number.
http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2005/04/dnc.shtm
Also I receive about one call a week if not more from automated dialing telemarketers and the form I found to complain says I need to be registered for 31 days, anyone know how to make a complaint for this violation as you shouldn’t need to be registered to not receive these calls?
I just investigated this a bit and found that this page with legitimate information about the Do Not Call List.
http://www.ftc.gov/donotcall
I cannot verify the validity of this number, but I can say with absolute certainty from personal experience that telemarketing are calling cell phones and that they are using automated dialers to call cell phone numbers.
I just did a reverse look up and it’s showing this is a US Govt # out of KS
I would still be beware of calling.