Online Threat Alerts (OTA) - Alerting you to scams and frauds.

"Cell Phone Numbers Go Public this Month to Telemarketing Companies"
Cell Phone Numbers Go Public this Month to Telemarketing Companies

The message below, which warns the recipients that cell phone numbers will go public, which means cell phone numbers will be released to telemarketing companies, is a hoax. The hoax also claims that the recipients of the telemarketing calls will be charged for those calls, and in order to prevent this from happening, they need to call the 888-382-1222 from their cell phones. But, none of this is true, and this hoax has been around since 2004.

The Cell Phone and Telemarketing Hoax

REMEMBER: Cell Phone Numbers Go Public this month. REMINDER..... all cell phone numbers are being released to telemarketing companies and you will start to receive sales calls. .... YOU WILL BE CHARGED FOR THESE CALLS To prevent this, call the following number from your cell phone: 888-382-1222 .

It is the National DO NOT CALL list It will only take a minute of your time.. It blocks your number for five (5) years. You must call from the cell phone number you want to have blocked. You cannot call from a different phone number. HELP OTHERS BY PASSING THIS ON.

It takes about 20 seconds RE-POST

If you have received the hoax, please do not follow the instructions in it. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released the following statement regarding the hoax back in 2006, denying the claims in it:

NO TRUTH TO RUMOR THAT CELL PHONE NUMBERS WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE TO TELEMARKETERS Washington, DC -- For several years there has been a rumor circulating, mostly by e-mail, that a nationwide directory of cell phone numbers will be made available to telemarketers, and that consumers will start receiving telemarketing calls on their cell phones.

There is no truth to this rumor. Cell phone numbers are not being released to telemarketers, and you will not soon be getting telemarketing calls on your cell phone. FCC rules prohibit the use of autodialers and prerecorded messages to call cell phones without the consumer’s consent.

Thus, most telemarketers are barred from contacting consumers on their cell phones. The e-mail spreading the rumor often suggests that consumers put their cell phone numbers on the National Do-Not-Call Registry by going on-line at www.donotcall.gov or by calling 1- 888-382-1222. This is the correct contact information for the National Do-Not-Call Registry.

Consumers may register their cell phone numbers as an extra protection against unwanted telemarketing calls, although most telemarketing calls to cell phones would be illegal regardless of whether the number is listed on the Do-Not-Call Registry.

For more information on the government’s Do-Not-Call Registry, go to www.donotcall.gov.to learn more about the e-mail rumor, go to here.

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