Coyle resident and truck driver Mike Waltman said when he’s not on the road, the last thing he wants to hear is the phone ringing off the hook with telemarketing calls.
If his phone rings during dinner or once he’s gone to bed, it’s usually a prerecorded message selling him a dream vacation, extended warranty or something else he doesn’t want.
Waltman, 59, isn’t alone in his frustration.
Complaints of unwanted telephone marketing calls have more than doubled since the same time last year, according to the state attorney general’s office. But a new Federal Trade Commission law could stop many of them from disturbing people like Waltman.
"Most of the scams are long on emotion and short on fact,” said Charlie Price, spokesman for state Attorney General Drew Edmondson. Complaints primarily come from people listed on the Do Not Call Registry.
Mitchell Katz, spokesman for the Federal Trade Commission, said most callers who don’t abide by the registry are hawking products that are faulty or don’t exist. They often block their caller identification. Some are also trying to obtain sensitive information or to bilk people.
He said starting Tuesday, certain prerecorded calls, known as robocalls, will be prohibited. Consumers can agree in writing to accept them, but businesses that break the rule could face penalties of up to $16,000 per call.
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