The Federal Trade Commission is taking a stand against "robocalls."
Companies use autodialers to reach thousands of consumers a minute. Those autodialers send pre-recorded sales messages to consumers, which is a robocall. The robocalls do not have live operators calling consumers, and if consumers have not given permission to be contacted by that company, it is illegal, according to the Telemarketing Sales Rule.
Consumers are not required to register in the National Do Not Call Registry for this to be an illegal act, yet companies continue to use this method.
The FTC has created a Robocall Action Plan and issed tips for consumers to deal with the automated phone calls.
The FTC said if you answer the phone and hear an unwanted pre-recorded sales message, hang up. Don't press 1 to get an operator and don't press any number to get off the caller's list. The FTC said doing that could lead to more robocalls.
You can ask your phone provider to block the robocall number, but some providers charge a fee, so be sure to ask first.
The FTC will host a public summit on Oct. 18, 2012 in Washington D.C. for all interested in developing strategic solutions to the increase in illegal robocalls.
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In the meantime, report any call and phone number to the FTC at www.ftc.gov/robocalls or contact them by phone at 1-877-382-4357.
