Can Telemarketers Call My Cell Phone
Can Telemarketers Call My Cell Phone
Telemarketers calling cell phones has been a hot topic of late. The debate stems from some nasty rumors circulating on the internet and I’m the first to admit I fell for them.
Telemarketers cannot legally call a cell phone number the way they can a regular phone listing. Cell phone carriers have always toyed with the idea of creating a 411 directory for cell phones but have yet to do so. And, this idea has sparked a nasty little virus online.
A scam email is circulated saying that in a certain number of days the cell phone 411 will go live and the only way to avoid being called by telemarketers is to sign up for a new and separate national do not call list. Well, this list does not exist and the form people have been filling in to register for the fake list asks for information that could be used to access private accounts.
Human beings tend to use the same security questions for bank accounts, email accounts and other very personal accounts that might prove very fruitful for scammers. When signing up for the fake list the form calls for the registrant to choose a security question and verify their cell phone number. Chances are the most of the victims will use the same security question as they do for their other accounts and they will have given a very hard to find cell phone number as well.
Even though real telemarketers are not supposed to call a cell phone number, you may be surprised to find out that non-profit organizations are permitted to call cell phones. Telephone survey companies and any business you have called from a cell number or done actual business with during an 18 month period of time is legally allowed to call that cell number. Also, any complaint registered by a cell phone owner against an unsolicited caller has 31 days to take full effect.
Our cell phone protection is well intended but tends to fall short because it becomes extremely difficult for cell phone users to identify the owners of the phones calling us. Since cell phone numbers are not listed in a 411 directory, getting someone to stop harassing calls without running a trace on that number through a reverse look up service.
It’s kind of a catch 22 if you ask me but when you are trying to identify a stalker, ducking a bill collector or wondering who may be calling your spouse the small price to access unlimited call traces is worth it.
You may not find a telemarketer on the other end of the call!
