Deadline approaching to register for ‘Do Not Call’ list to avoid calls from telemarketers
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – You have until Tuesday, Feb. 21 to register your information with the Office of the Indiana Attorney General “Do Not Call” list.
Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill announced Wednesday the deadline as part of a campaign that is aimed to protect Hoosiers from phone scams, “Do Not Call/Do Not Answer.”
If you sign up by Tuesday, it will help you to avoid calls from telemarketers beginning April 1.
“Nobody has time for unwanted phone calls soliciting unwanted goods and services,” Hill said. “Register your phone number on our Do Not Call list and limit the ridiculous phone calls that interrupt dinner with your family, pull you away from important meetings at work and distract you while you’re driving.”
One of the main reasons the telephone privacy campaign was launched is due to phone scams. The Office of the Indiana Attorney General Consumer Protection Division has had a lot of complaints filed that an unknown number contacted them requesting money and personal information, claiming to be a law enforcement officer or an Internal Revenue Service Agent. Hoosiers have fallen for the the scammers and ended up compromising their personal identity.
“Even if you’re registered on the Do Not Call list, it’s likely you’ll still receive some phone calls from random, unknown numbers. The easiest way to avoid dealing with those phone calls – whether it’s a telemarketer or someone trying to rip you off with a scam – is by simply ignoring the phone call,” Hill said. “If the phone call is that important, the caller will leave a voicemail, or better yet that person will text you. Don’t subject yourself to the sort of vulnerability that comes with scammers trying to swindle you over the phone, demanding credit card numbers or private information. If you don’t know the number, just don’t answer.”
In addition, even if you are registered on the Do Not Call List, you may still be contacted by groups such as insurance agents, newspapers, realtors and most charities.
It’s free to sign up for Indiana residents. You may submit your land line, wireless numbers, and prepaid wireless numbers used in Indiana.
If you have not already done so, you have a chance to register for the Do Not Call list every three months beginning Feb. 21. If you miss the Feb. 21 deadline, you can still register on Feb. 22 but your number will not be on the Do Not Call list until July 1. Once you sign up, that number stays in the system.
If you are receiving phone calls from unknown numbers with area codes from another state, you may contact the office and file a complaint. If you have been contacted by someone trying to scam you over the phone, click here for more information or call 1-800-382-5516.
Click here to register online for the Do Not Contact list or call 1-888-382-1222.
If you receive an unwanted call after your number is on the National Registry for 31 days, report it to the FTC.