# Stop telemarketing calls from Florida **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 12, 2009, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-telemarketing-calls-from-florida/496219 "2009-05-12T21:24:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carol_the_Impaler)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2009, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-telemarketing-calls-from-florida/496219/21 "2009-05-13T18:44:56Z")
Huh. Well looks like the FTC is actually going to [do something:](http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jFpGIsUi1KVrRr07BBoVqLrkz0ZQD9850ARG0) [quote=] Federal regulators are close to filing lawsuits against companies behind a national wave of spam “robo-calls” that warn people their auto warranties are about to expire and offer new service plans, two senators said Tuesday. [/quote] I hope for devestating fines that put them out of business, but I’m not counting on it. ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2009, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-telemarketing-calls-from-florida/496219/22 "2009-05-13T19:18:49Z")
> [@andiepandie](#): > > I recently discovered the free “Call Screen” (aka “Selective Call Rejection”) feature my phone company offers, and it has been quite satisfying! I don’t think you can use it with 1-800/888/877 etc. numbers, but it does accept many of the other numbers some telemarketers call from. If your phone company offers a similar service, that might offer you some relief in the meantime. Unfortunately around here Call Screen isn’t free (but I chose it as part of a package of calling features, so it doesn’t bug me too much - my other choices would have been much less useful). But in my case it seems to block anything other than unknown number (it can even block “private number” if you use the block last number option). It even blocks pseudo numbers like 0-000-000-0000. Very handy! The biggest problem with it is that you can only have 12 numbers on your call screen list. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2009, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-telemarketing-calls-from-florida/496219/23 "2009-05-13T20:33:26Z")
> [@HongKongFooey](#): > > There are several free reverse call directorys online. If you type one of the nuisance numbers into them you can get the company name and a real number for them. Call them and demand to be put on their internal ‘do not call’ list. If you hint that you’re thinking of reporting them they go a lot faster. I can give a link to a good reverse call look-up site when I’m at my laptop later if you need one but there are several good, free ones available for the U.S. The calls mentioned in the OP are most likely from an outfit that completely ignores the law. The phone numbers are spoofed - often enough if you try to call the number from caller ID, you’ll get a “not in service” message. I have several times punched 1 (or 0?) to get to a human, who happily assures me they won’t call again. Until the next time (sigh). One time I tried telling the human that the calls were in violation of Federal law, and he _ **argued** _ with me. Saying that simply having a VISA card authorized them to contact me with marketing offers. I’ve heard there’s one outfit in particular that is behind the “lower your credit card rate” and “car warranty” scams. Dunno if that’s true of course. One page discussing these scumbags: [http://honeypot.net/scam-calls-card-services](http://honeypot.net/scam-calls-card-services) And another: [http://heatherwithaccountservices.com/](http://heatherwithaccountservices.com/) ---
**Author:** ![SeanArenas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeanArenas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeanArenas)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2009, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-telemarketing-calls-from-florida/496219/24 "2009-05-14T04:33:44Z")
> [@](#): > > The company received an F rating from the Better Business Bureau and — along with Explicit Media — agreed to pay Verizon Wireless $50,000 as part of a settlement over allegations of illegal telemarketing. $50k is nothing to these guys right? ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2009, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-telemarketing-calls-from-florida/496219/25 "2009-05-17T08:25:24Z")
Here’s some [good news](http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jFpGIsUi1KVrRr07BBoVqLrkz0ZQD98729IO0): > [@](#): > > A federal judge has issued two temporary restraining orders designed to stop what officials describe as a wave of deceptive “robo-calls” warning people their auto warranties are expiring and offering to sell them new service plans. > > “Today the FTC has disconnected the people responsible for so many of these annoying calls,” Federal Trade Commission Chairman Jon Leibowitz said Friday. > > \ > > Besides ordering a halt to the automatic telephone sales calls, Grady’s order froze the assets of the two companies. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2009, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-telemarketing-calls-from-florida/496219/26 "2009-05-17T15:46:19Z")
> [@niblet\_head](#): > > Huh. Well looks like the FTC is actually going to [do something:](http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jFpGIsUi1KVrRr07BBoVqLrkz0ZQD9850ARG0) > > I hope for devestating fines that put them out of business, but I’m not counting on it. I hope for someone to set them on fire. But I’m not counting on it. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![mylevi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eada6e/32.png) [@mylevi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mylevi)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2011, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-telemarketing-calls-from-florida/496219/27 "2011-08-09T12:56:35Z")
I have been plagued by telemarketing and spam emails for 4 years, since I tried to buy a drug for my dog’s heart condition. These people call 10 times per month. I tell them over and over again - YOU HAVE THE WRONG NUMBER, PLEASE STOP CALLING. They hang up on me and call again. I get several emails per day. They sell your personal information to other companies who just call and call. ---
**Author:** ![LurkerInNJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ed655f/32.png) [@LurkerInNJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkerInNJ)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2011, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-telemarketing-calls-from-florida/496219/28 "2011-08-09T13:46:23Z")
> [@mylevi](#): > > I have been plagued by telemarketing and spam emails for 4 years, since I tried to buy a drug for my dog’s heart condition. These people call 10 times per month. I tell them over and over again - YOU HAVE THE WRONG NUMBER, PLEASE STOP CALLING. They hang up on me and call again. I get several emails per day. They sell your personal information to other companies who just call and call. Wait until the fake FDA agent calls start. > **[FDA Warns of Extortion Phone Scam by Fake Agents](https://800notes.com/news/fda-warns-of-extortion-phone-scam-by-fake-agents)** ---
**Author:** ![SkipMagic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skipmagic/32/20706_2.png) [@SkipMagic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkipMagic)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2011, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-telemarketing-calls-from-florida/496219/29 "2011-08-09T14:42:26Z")
These spoofed caller ID robo-calls are difficult to stop, especially if your phone company doesn’t allow for selective call blocking, or severely limits the number of IDs you can block. \* A couple of years ago the number of these calls seemed to increase, so I slouched back a few technical years and purchased an external modem. Then, I installed [PhoneTray Free](http://www.phonetray.com/ptfree_download.htm). Since then I’ve been able to block as many specific numbers as I’d like, and for those numbers that follow a pattern, I can also block groups of numbers. All numbers using 000 as a prefix, for example, are automatically dropped after one ring. Unfortunately, you have to let the phone ring at least once to give the caller ID info to come through, but once it does, the call can be dropped. Or, like I do, you can also instruct the program to produce a “no longer in service” message. The number of repeated robo-calls has decreased enough to where, if we get one every few months, I’m surprised. It also helps with persistent charitable organizations, political offices, survey groups, and call centers-for-hire as used by groups such as the Fraternal Order of Police. \*We have Vonage and have zero complaints about their service; however, I’m fairly dismayed that, for a VOIP company, they don’t currently allow number blocking. I’d rather block numbers with them so that the calls never ring my house, but it is what it is, I suppose. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2011, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-telemarketing-calls-from-florida/496219/30 "2011-08-09T14:54:45Z")
What about when the zombies start calling? ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2011, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-telemarketing-calls-from-florida/496219/31 "2011-08-09T14:56:51Z")
> [@SkipMagic](#): > > \*We have Vonage and have zero complaints about their service; however, I’m fairly dismayed that, for a VOIP company, they don’t currently allow number blocking. I’d rather block numbers with them so that the calls never ring my house, but it is what it is, I suppose. I agree. It’s ridiculous that Vonage doesn’t offer this service. I’d even be willing to pay an extra few bucks a month for it, although we really don’t have much of a problem with telemarketers and charity calls. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2011, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-telemarketing-calls-from-florida/496219/32 "2011-08-09T15:11:07Z")
[Moderator Note] > [@mylevi](#): > > I have been plagued by telemarketing and spam emails for 4 years, since I tried to buy a drug for my dog’s heart condition. These people call 10 times per month. I tell them over and over again - YOU HAVE THE WRONG NUMBER, PLEASE STOP CALLING. They hang up on me and call again. I get several emails per day. They sell your personal information to other companies who just call and call. **mylevi** , calls to action of this kind are not allowed on this message board. I have removed the part of your message promoting a campaign and the link that was included. Do not do this again. From the Registration Agreement: > [@](#): > > Do not post spam, including but not limited to advertisements, chain letters, pyramid schemes, solicitations, offers to trade or barter, charitable appeals, or **other messages primarily intended to promote a cause** , venture, organization, event (except Straight Dope-related events), website, or other entity or activity, whether or not money is involved. Bolding mine. Other posters should note that this thread is over two years old. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2011, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-telemarketing-calls-from-florida/496219/33 "2011-08-09T15:28:09Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > What about when the zombies start calling? not just zombies but zombie phonebots. double threat. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2011, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-telemarketing-calls-from-florida/496219/34 "2011-08-09T16:21:55Z")
> [@SkipMagic](#): > > A couple of years ago the number of these calls seemed to increase, so I slouched back a few technical years and purchased an external modem. Then, I installed [PhoneTray Free](http://www.phonetray.com/ptfree_download.htm). Another thumbs up for PhoneTray Free. I have it on both of my phone lines, and there is nothing more satisfying than hearing it zap another robodialer. The exchange blocking feature is great for collection agents who use a dozen or more numbers on the same exchange. ---
**Author:** ![MindsEye\_Watering](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindseye_watering/32/3619_2.png) [@MindsEye\_Watering](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MindsEye_Watering)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2011, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-telemarketing-calls-from-florida/496219/35 "2011-08-09T16:23:24Z")
Since this thread is open again, I would like to let you all know about a free program called [PhoneTray](http://www.phonetray.com/ptfree_download.htm) that I’ve been using for some time. If you have a modem in your computer, PhoneTray will log all calls coming into your land-line, and if you tell the program to do so, will “zap” (not allow to ring) all calls from any number that you choose. Very simple and flexible. I’m using it on an XP computer - not sure if it’s compatible with 64-bit systems. I see that **Fear Itself** and **SkipMagic** has beat me. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2011, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-telemarketing-calls-from-florida/496219/36 "2011-08-09T18:12:15Z")
> [@MindsEye\_Watering](#): > > I’m using it on an XP computer - not sure if it’s compatible with 64-bit systems. It is. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-telemarketing-calls-from-florida/496219.md?page=1)