More telemarketers not checking "don't call list" - NBC12.com - Richmond, VA News

The "do not call list" was supposed to cut down on annoying telemarketer calls, but the government is getting even more complaints about them.

The Federal Trade Commission is stepping up to address those complaints. The Associated Press just released a report that found telemarketers are not checking the federal "do not call list" and complaints are up for those annoying robocalls.

Robocalls are pre-recorded messages that can reach hundreds of people in a short amount of time.

There is a rule that bans this type of call, unless it's political, a charity or informational, such as a flight delay.

But that AP report found that exemption is being abused, with it starting out as a legit call, then the telemarketers switching it to an illegal sales pitch.

The AP also found, while telemarketers are supposed to check the federal "do not call list" every month, thousands are not doing it.

So what can you do? The best thing is to, of course, hang up. Don't even press '1' to speak to a live operator to get off the list.

The Federal Trade Commission says, it will just lead to more robocalls. 

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