You may be one of many consumers who have received e-mails saying you're about to be assaulted by unwanted telemarketing calls to your cell phone.
The confusion seems to stem from recent discussions in the wireless phone industry about establishing a wireless 411 phone directory, much like your traditional (wired) 411 phone directory.
A number of e-mail campaigns seem to suggest that if your wireless telephone number is listed in a wireless 411 directory, it will be available to telemarketers, and you will start to receive sales calls.
In addition, some of these e-mail campaigns suggest that there is a separate do-not-call "cell phone registry," which you must call to have your wireless phone number covered by the do-not-call rules.
For example, it is unlawful for any person to make any call (other than a call made for emergency purposes or made with express prior consent) using any automatic telephone dialing system or any artificial or prerecorded voice to any telephone number assigned to a paging service, mobile telephone service, or any service for which the called party is charged for the call.
Contrary to what some of the e-mail campaigns are now saying, the Federal Government does not maintain and is not establishing a separate Do-Not-Call Registry for mobile phones.
The FCC and the Federal Trade Commission set up the National Do-Not-Call Registry to enable consumers to reduce the number of unwanted telemarketing calls to their phones.
Registrations become effective within 31 days of signing up and are active for five years.
If you receive an unwanted telemarketing call and you have requested your telephone number be listed on the Registry, you can file a complaint by e-mail ([email protected]); the Internet (www.fcc.gov/cgb/complaints.html); voice telephone call (1-888-CALL-FCC (1-888-225-5322)); or TTY telephone call (1-888-TELL-FCC (1-888-835-5322)).