FTC Consumer Alert

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Fraud on the Line: Avoiding “Do Not Call” Scams

Have you received a call from a company inviting you to preregister for the national "Do Not Call" list? What about a call asking to confirm your registration on a "Do Not Call" registry? If so, you may be the target of a scam, according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the federal agency that is creating the national "Do Not Call" registry.

The FTC does not allow private companies or other third parties to register consumers for the registry. Websites or phone solicitors that claim they can or will register or confirm a consumer's name or phone number on a national list — especially those who charge a fee — are a scam. Registration on the new national "Do Not Call" registry is free. The government does not call anyone to put them on a "Do Not Call" registry.

According to the FTC, consumers are able to register directly with the FTC, or through some state governments, but never through private companies. The agency has been accepting registrations online and by phone. Consumers should notice a downturn in telemarketing calls about three months after they've put their number on the registry.

The FTC warns consumers to be wary of scams related to the registry. Many consumers who want to get fewer telemarketing calls already have signed up with a state "Do Not Call" registry, the Direct Marketing Association's Telemarketing Preference Service or individual company "Do Not Call" lists. But consumer protection officials say that rip-off artists have been reported trying to take advantage of the popularity of these services to trick consumers into giving up personal information, such as their Social Security number, bank account number, credit card number or telephone calling card number.

Here's how the scam works: someone calls claiming to represent a "Do Not Call" registry or the FTC. The phony registry "official" asks for your personal information, supposedly to verify that you are — or want to be — on the "Do Not Call" list. The caller is a con artist who could use your personal information to run up debts in your name or otherwise steal your identity. Some con artists are pushing a similar scam through spam email.

The FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection says consumers can avoid these scams.

Here's how:

• Keep information about your bank accounts and credit cards to yourself - including the numbers - unless you know who you're dealing with.
• Never share your Social Security number with a person you don't know.
• Don't share your personal information if someone calls you claiming to represent a "Do Not Call" registry, an organization to stop fraud, or even the FTC itself. If you get such a call, either hang up immediately or write down the caller's organization and phone number and report it to the FTC at ftc.gov or 1-877-FTC-HELP, or to your state attorney general.

For more information on how to reduce unwanted telemarketing calls, visit ftc.gov/donotcall. If you believe that your personal information may have been compromised, visit www.consumer.gov/idtheft.

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 ftc.gov or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The FTC enters consumer complaints into the Consumer Sentinel Network, a secure online database and investigative tool used by hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.