States, Feds Join Together to Target Telemarketers

By Eagle Times Staff
Concord, N.H. — Attorneys General nationwide are joining the Federal Trade Commission and other law enforcement partners to crack down on illegal telemarketing operations responsible for billions of calls to Americans.

“Taking every action we can with our law enforcement partners to protect Granite Staters from illegal telemarketers is crucial,” said New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella. “These unwanted calls are now a daily plague that open people up to all kinds of potential scams and predatory practices.”

The joint state and federal initiative builds on the efforts of state and federal partners to combat illegal telemarketing, including robocalls. The new initiative targets telemarketers and the companies that hire them as well as lead generators who deceptively collect and provide consumers’ telephone numbers to robocallers and others, falsely representing that these consumers have consented to receive calls. It also targets Voice over Internet Protocol service providers which facilitate tens of billions of illegal robocalls every year, often originating from overseas.

Formella urges consumers to stay diligent in protecting their personal information. Don’t answer calls from unknown numbers and be aware Caller ID showing a “local” number does not necessarily mean it’s a local caller, his office cautions. Never give out personal information, such as birthdate or mother’s maiden name, on the phone. If someone says they represent a company or government agency, hang up and call the phone number on your account statement or the company’s website. And, if you answer the phone and a recording advises you to hit a button to stop getting calls, hang up. Scammers often use this trick to identify potential targets.

Other contributing law enforcers include the U.S. Department of Justice, Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Federal Communications Commission.

The FTC has a variety of materials aimed at helping consumers block unwanted telemarketing calls, including advice related to unwanted calls and information on how to spot and avoid phone scams at ftc.gov/calls, which is also available in Spanish at ftc.gov/llamadas. The FTC also has a educational webpage at ftc.gov/RobocallScams that includes examples of illegal robocalls and steps people can take to avoid robocall scams.

The New Hampshire Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection and Antitrust Bureau investigates and prosecutes fraud against New Hampshire consumers. To file a complaint with the New Hampshire Department of Justice, call the Consumer Protection Hotline at 1-888-468-4454 or file a complaint online at https://www.doj.nh.gov/consumer/complaints.