Just got this important email from a good friend this morning. Read it, do it and pass it on.
Starting this month the US Government is releasing all cell phone numbers to telemarketers and you will receive sales calls, and have to pay for them.
To prevent this, call this number (it is free and is run by the Federal Trade Commission)
888-382-1222
It is a national DO NOT CALL listing. It will prevent calls for five years.
Important. You must call this number from the cellphone which you want its number blocked.
It takes about 20 seconds. This is good info, pass it on.
The number again 888-382-1222
Aloha, Nels
Comments
Oops. From the FCC site.
NEWS
Federal Communications Commission 445 12th Street, S.W. Washington, D. C. 20554
This is an unofficial announcement of Commission action. Release of the full text of a Commission order constitutes official action. See MCI v. FCC. 515 F 2d 385 (D.C. Circ 1974).
For Immediate Release: News Media Contact: September 17, 2009 Rosemary Kimball at (202) 418-0511
e-mail: rosemary.kimball@fcc.gov 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
http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/truthaboutcellphones.html
I read the article and I came to these conclusions:
1) When you get an email warning you about the dangers of some issue or telling you that every American should read it, you are probably getting some made up crap that has been going around the world for many years. This particular deadline was for June 2006, which was 5 years ago.
2) The registry has yet to see the light of day. It doesn't exist.
3) When it does come, it will be an opt-in service, meaning that to get on the list you have to request to be on it.
4) Calling that number has virtually no effect because most cell companies already block telemarketers from calling your cell.
If you want to really stop being called or being sent unwanted texts, stop giving out your cards at shows which, for us, is the reason why you get text messages for a few weeks after you do a show.
However I do get calls on my cell phone all the time from telemarketers and I did go ahead and register it on the do not call registry - https://www.donotcall.gov/
Another very favorite link of mine is the reporting site for when they do call -
https://esupport.fcc.gov/ccmsforms/form1088!createComplaint.action
Ive seen this before.
Snopes says it's false.
http://www.snopes.com/politics/business/cell411.asp