Consumer Complaints about Robocalls on Rise

The rising tide of pre-recorded marketing pitches or robocalls that bombard consumers with offers for loans, credit cards, and other things have raised concerns about the effectiveness of the federal do-not-call list.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which oversees the list, has been receiving an increasing number of consumer complaints because the telemarketers are making calls to people on the list, according to the Associated Press (AP).

Monthly consumer complaints about robocalls have skyrocketed from 65,000 in October 2010 to more than 212,000 in April 2012, writes the AP. General complaints about telemarketers have also risen from 71,000 to 182,000 during that time.

The registry has more than 209 million phone numbers on it and telemarketers are supposed to routinely check it for numbers they can call. The number of telemarketers checking the FTC list has, however, gone down dramatically, according to the AP. Over 65,000 telemarketers checked the list five years ago. In 2011, only about 34,000 did so.

The FTC is stepping up efforts to battle the growing problem. It announced an October summit to discuss the problem and technology to combat it. The FTC has also filed cases against about a dozen companies since 2009, including Talbots, DirecTV and Dish Network, resulting in $5.6 million in penalties.

If you or a loved one has been defrauded by robocalls, contact Sokolove Law today for a free legal consultation and to find out if a consumer fraud lawyer may be able to help you.

Tags: