Frequently Asked Questions About Telemarketing , Junk Faxes, Call Blocking, Caller ID and Area Code Information

• Telemarketing FAQ's
  
  
• Junk Fax FAQ's
  
  
• Caller ID Information
  
  
• Call Block Comparison - Compare Call Block Features and Save
  
  
• Area Code - Lookup by Number
  
  

No Call Lists

• State Do Not Call Lists
  
  
• National Do Not Call List
  
  
• Do Not Call List News
  
  

Some Startling Statistics

• The FBI estimates there are 14,000 illegal sales operations bilking consumers in the United States every day.
  
  
• The National Association of Attorneys General estimates that although 5,000,000 Americans are defrauded by telemarketers every year, only one of five of them report the fraud, usually because they are too embarrassed.
  
  
• Americans lose $40 billion a year to fraudulent telemarketers according to the National Fraud Information Center. Investment scams alone amount to losses of $1 million an hour!
  
  
• Charities make more money from selling your name and number to the other telemarketing companies than from the donations they collect from calling.
  
  
• On average, only 24% of what you donate as a result of a telemarketing call will actually get to the charity on whose behalf the solicitation is made. The telemarketing company hired to make the call gets the rest.
  
  
• 56% of the people targeted by telemarketers are 50 or older.
  
  
• Fraudulent telemarketers prey on vulnerable consumers with certain characteristics. Unfortunately, the most common victims are the elderly and immigrants, who in worst cases may lose their life savings. But anyone without knowledge and due diligence can fall prey.
  
  
• The same telemarketer will often call an elderly person day after day, building a relationship with the target, until he/she thinks a friend, not a stranger, is trying to sell him/her something.
  
  
• 92% of the adults in the United States have reported receiving fraudulent telephone offers.
  
  

Congressional Findings and Laws Concerning Telemarketing and Faxing

• Restrictions on Telephone Solicitation - 47 C.F.R. 64.1200
  
  
• FTC Telemarketing Sales Rule
  
  
• Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991
  
  
• Telemarketing and Consumer Fraud and Abuse Prevention - Chapter 87
  
  

Links to Valuable Resources

C.A.T.S.	Californians Against Telephone Solicitation - California consumer advocate Bob Arkow offers free information and hands-on experience defeating unwanted telemarketing.
Consumer Action	A non-profit, membership-based organization to serve consumers nationwide by advancing consumer rights, publishing educational materials, and advocating for consumers in the media and before lawmakers.
Consumer World	A public service, non-commercial guide cataloging over 2000 of the most useful consumer resources
FCC	Federal Communications Commission - Unwanted Telephone Marketing Calls - Infomation on telemarketing rules and procedures
FCIC	Federal Consumer Information Center
FTC	Federal Trade Commission - Working for consumer protection and a competative marketplace. Complaints may also be submitted online at this site
FTC - Do Not Call Registry	Federal Trade Commission - Information on the proposed National "Do Not Call" Registry.
Privacy Rights Clearinghouse	A nonprofit consumer education, research, and advocacy program. Their publications empower you to take action to control your personal information by providing practical tips on privacy protection
Junk Fax.org	Dedicated to stopping junk faxes
My ID Fix	Identity theft prevention and victim assistance center
National Fraud Information Center	Telemarketing Fraud Statistics Report

Resources for Telemarketers

• Do Not Call List Protection, Inc. - Automatic "DO NOT CALL" List Compliance Solutions for Call Centers and Businesses. Includes: "DO NOT CALL" List Scrubbing, 1-800 "DO NOT CALL" Compliance, Quick Drag-N'-Drop Compliance and Special Automatic Dialer "DO NOT CALL" Compliance programs.