By Jackie Monroe - email
As the saying goes, rules were made to be broken. There's one set of rules that most of us wish every telemarketers would follow, the rules of the ‘Do Not Call' list.
Indiana's "Do Not Call" registry started 10 years ago, and so far, more than two million Hoosiers have 'opted in' for this list.
It's estimated that more than five billion unwanted calls have been prevented by the do not call list in Indiana alone.
There are some annoying calls that still make it through, just ask Evansville mom Lisa Fenwick who says, "I don't want to do a survey at 8:15 at night. It's just not what I wanna do."
Attorney General Greg Zoeller says Indiana's no-call statutes are among the toughest in the U.S. and that his office has sued and collected millions in fines from violators.
"We aggressively pursue the ones who are violating," said Zoeller. "If you've used an auto-dialer, we get those numbers form the telephone companies … for the numbers on this list, it's $5,000 per call.
Last year, Indiana lawmakers approved another layer of protection by changing the law to include cell phones.
If you've signed up and those calls are still getting through, here's one way to beat them at their own game:
- When a telemarketer calls your cell phone, save that number.
- Create a new contact.
- Label it "telemarketer" and assign the ring tone of None or Silent.
- Follow these steps and you won't even know the next time that telemarketer calls.
Another option: download an app like "Call Control". The app blocks known spammers' phone calls before they even ring. If a call gets through you can add it to the community blacklist so it never gets through again.
Finally, report every telemarketer who calls you to your attorney general's office.
Zoeller says legitimate telemarketers buy a "no call disk" every quarter. The disk keeps track of phone numbers of people who don't want to be called. Scammers do not normally buy the disk. So, if you've signed up to not get calls and they continue that should be a red flag. Your best bet is to hang up and report the call.
The Indiana Attorney General's office requires telemarketers to update their no-call lists quarterly. The deadline to get your number included in the next round of calls is February 14th. If you miss that deadline you can still sign up, but your number won't enforceable until 90 days after the next cut off which is in April.
Do Not Call Information:
Click here to sign up for the Federal ‘Do Not Call' registry (Kentucky & Illinois)
Click here to sign up for the Indiana ‘Do Not Call' registry
Click here to see if you're already registered (Indiana only)
For Indiana residents only, you can call: (888) 834-9969 to register
Click here to file a Do Not Call complaint (Kentucky)
Click here to file a Do Not Call complaint (Indiana)
Click here to file a Do Not Fax complaint (Indiana)
Copyright 2012 WFIE. All rights reserved.
