Despite Ban, Robocalls Keep Coming
By BRIAN CURTIS
Updated 2:27 PM CST, Fri, Oct 30, 2009
Despite a recent government crackdown, North Texans continue to receive "robocalls," those prerecorded phone messages that always seem to interrupt dinner.
The Federal Trade Commission said it has received about 118,000 complaints about robocalls since a ban on them went into effect Sept. 1.
"Robocalls are not permitted any longer," said Deanya Kueckelhan, director of the FTC's Southwestern Division in Dallas.
But the FTC explained that there are exceptions. "Some calls are in areas of the law that are not regulated by the Federal Trade Commission," Kueckelhan said.
Calls that do not fall under the FTC's jurisdiction include:
- Charities
- Phone companies
- Banks
- Politicians
Informational robocalls also remain legal, such as ones from a pharmacy about a prescription being ready.
Telemarketers who make illegal robocalls face the possibility of stiff fines -- up to $16,000 per call. And the FTC said it wants to know about violations.
"We have to hear from consumers. It's very important," said Kueckelhan.
Complaints can be filed on the FTC's Web site at: www.ftc.gov
First Published: Oct 29, 2009 7:08 PM CST
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