In 1999, Time magazine created a poll to ask Americans what the worst 20th century idea was. One of the few things worse than Boston selling Babe Ruth to the Yankees was telemarketing.
Telemarketing had become such a pox for Americans that in 2003, the government created the Do Not Call Registry. The basic idea is that our telephones shouldn’t be ringing every minute just because someone wants to sell you something from Bangladesh. Especially if you never gave out your number to begin with. We deserve some level of privacy, even if we take constant steps each day to loudly display our privacies on Facebook—often to disastrous effect.
Nonetheless, even with potential safeguards in place, the Do Not Call Registry is not a bulletproof vest. The Federal Trade Commission received more than 3 million complaints in 2015, and that number has been growing since. It’s costing Americans who get duped into things like free hotel offers:
ROBO SCAM ALERT: @MarriottIntl is a victim of fraudulent calls offering free hotel stays. Beware & don't fall for it! http://t.co/lYfuPPiTiP
— Marriott Internat'l (@MarriottIntl) April 24, 2015
We’ve written about similar scams like this before. As Slate reported in 2016:
The Federal Trade Commission reports consumers lose $350 million annually by falling for these rip-offs. The IRS con alone cost consumers almost $30 million, the Treasury Department reports.
Worse yet, internet providers were recently caught red-handed in violating the Do Not Call list. Dish Network recently got busted:
Recently, Dish Network lost a class-action lawsuit filed by more than 18,000 people who sued the company over violations against the National Do Not Call Registry law.
According to the complaint, representatives from Dish Network knowingly called people on the do-not-call list between May 11, 2010 and August 1, 2011.
The good news? If you’re on the Do Not Call Registry, and you’ve been contacted you could get as much as $1,200! That might sound too good to be true, but it’s real. Since you probably wouldn’t believe a phone call or an email, make sure to file your claim here. Don’t hesitate though. You have until June 18 to receive a potential $1200 check.
For a FREE credit evaluation for a program that will keep you up to date on insider tips and secrets, contact us by visiting us at our committed offices at 6989 Alamo Downs Pkwy, San Antonio, TX 78238, or call us at 210-520-0444.
