TeleZapper2020 Frequently Asked Questions

Why am I getting more and more calls on both my home and cell phones?
It has become inexpensive and profitable to make RoboCalls. Long distance charges are almost free. RoboCallers can call 10,000 phones for less than $20. The average family is predicted to receive more than 1,000 unwanted calls in the next 12 months. Tele-criminals steal personal data and more than 7 billion dollars a year from Americans.
I have all my phone numbers on both the Federal and State Do Not Call list but still get lots of calls. Why?
Federal and State Do Not Call lists only reduce calls from legitimate tele-marketing companies that are trying to sell you something. There are many exemptions from the Do Not Call lists including those made for government purposes, politicians, non-profit and charity companies, companies who are not selling goods or services and companies that you have done business with in the past 18 months. The list of exemptions goes on. Additionally, tele-criminals ignore Do Not Call lists since they are almost always untraceable and unreachable for fines or prosecution.
I sometimes get calls that say "unavailable or restricted." What are these and how should I deal with them?
Besides "spoofing," in which a RoboCaller provides a misleading Caller ID, and changes that ID often so you don't recognize their repeated attempts to reach you, RoboCallers can use Caller ID masking technology to hide any clue as to whom they might be. This is another ploy to get you to answer. You should never answer a call where you do not recognize the caller id.
My personal data was breached through a cyber-attack on an organization that I entrusted with my data. Now I am getting even more unwanted calls. No one mentioned that my phone data was stolen along with everything else. Should I be concerned?
YES! If you included your phone number with your profile to a company that got hacked, your phone number most likely got stolen along with the rest of your data. Every piece of your data, including your phone number is used by criminals to create a mosaic of your identity. They might contact you, using what they now know against you, or simply to fill in any missing pieces in order to negatively influence you.
I still get more unwanted calls on my home phone than on my cell. Should I just cancel my home phone and take my chances using my cell?
You could do that, but RoboCalls are increasing exponentially to mobile phones, so you need a solution that stops RoboCalls. It is estimated that 80% of all RoboCalls to your mobile phone are illegal. This is much higher than RoboCalls made to landlines. There are still a few very good reasons to keep a home phone handy. Call quality, dependability, 911 emergency call access, and having a direct line to home for children, sitters and family are the best reasons. The cost for landlines is also coming down considerably.

What should I do if I get a get a telemarketing call requesting a charitable donation?  
The best advice we’ve seen on this is found on CharityNavigator.org Here is their link.   https://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=content.view&cpid=224


What is the difference between telemarketing calls, RoboCalls and tele-criminal calls?
A general definition of Telemarketing is the act of marketing goods or services to potential customers over the telephone.
However, Telemarketing has become a blanket term that can incorporate all activities that use the telephone to connect with prospects or customers. This includes sales or just making people aware of a product or service, providing general information, conducting market research or surveys, or leaving a message to influence the called party in some way.
More than 99% of all telemarketing calls now use computers that dial large volumes of phone numbers simultaneously in an attempt to connect with more customers. Calls connected are then transferred to live telemarketing operators, or increasingly, are completely automated telephone calls with robot interaction or pre-recorded messages. These have become more commonly known as "RoboCalls," but are really a subset of telemarketing.
Tele-criminal calls are those made by illegal groups and are designed to steal your identity, scam money, or to influence you in any way that is not in your best interest. It is estimated that as many as 80% of RoboCalls made to mobile phones are illegal.