Consumer Fraud Reporting
The Do-Not-Call List
Reporting on the Latest Frauds, Scams, Fake Lotteries, Spams and Hoaxes

 

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Do-Not-Call List for the United States

Are You Getting Telemarketing Calls You Don’t Want?
Here's How to Stop Them!

Here is a simple guide to help you sign up on the United States National Do-Not-Call list to block telemarketers from calling you! The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) launched the National Do Not Call Registry to give Americans a choice about getting telemarketing calls at home. According to a recent Harris Interactive poll,92 percent of people who reported placing a number on the registry said they are receiving fewer calls; a total of 78 percent said they’re getting “far fewer calls” or none at all.

Here's how to sign up:

• Click here to register your number! (If a website certificate appears, just click "accept this certificate")
  • You will be asked to follow the registration steps below. Click here for more detailed registration instructions.
  1. Enter up to three phone numbers and your email address. (this may include cell phones now!) Click Submit.
  2. Check for errors. Click Register.
  3. Check your email for a message from "Register@donotcall.gov". Open the email and click on the link to complete your registration

If you have ALREADY signed up:

If you think you put your number on the National Do Not Call Registry and you’re still getting telemarketing sales calls, the Federal Trade Commission recommends that you:

• Check to see that your number is on the registry. You can verify that your number is on the registry two ways: online (click here to go to the government do not call verification  page), or by calling 1-888-382-1222 (TTY 1-866-290-4236) from the phone number you wish to verify. Follow the prompts.
   

What to do when doesn't the system work:

• Understand that some calls are not covered. Once your number has been on the registry for three months, most telemarketing calls will stop. However, you still may get:
  • calls from — or on behalf of — political organizations, charities, and telephone surveyors;
  • calls from companies with whom you have an existing business relationship. A company may call you for 18 months after you make a purchase or three months after you submit an inquiry or application;
  • calls from companies you’ve given permission to call.
     
• File a complaint. If your number has been on the registry for at least 31 days, and a telemarketer calls, complain to the FTC. Click here to FILE A COMPLAINT or call 1-888-382-1222 (TTY1-866-290-4236).
  • You’ll need to provide the date of the call and the phone number or name of the company that called you.
  • Your number must have been on the registry for at least three months
  • Reminder: Even if your number is registered, companies with which you do business may continue to call you. So may charities, political organizations, and telephone surveyors. Click Here for more information about the companies that may continue to call the numbers on the registry.
     

More questions?

See this list of frequently asked questions, direct from the FTC.

The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint or to get free information on consumer issues, visit www.ftc.gov or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft, and other fraud-related complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.

Copyright CFR 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009  - Definition of scam, fraud, etc. -  Legal disclaimer / corrections / complaints  -  Privacy Policy
Names used by scammers in the examples on this page and others often belong to real people and businesses who often have no knowledge of nor connection to the scammer's use of their name and information.  Sample scam emails and other documents are copies of the scam to help potential victims recognize and avoid it.  You should presume that any names used and presented here in a scam are either fictitious or used without their legitimate owner's permission.
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