Placing one's number on the National Do Not Call Registry will stop most, but not all, telemarketing calls.
Only telemarketing calls are covered — that is, calls that solicit sales of goods or services. Callers purporting to take a survey, but also offering to sell goods or services, must comply with the National Do Not Call Registry. An example of an operation attempting to skirt this rule is the Dove Foundation which places "survey" calls and then requests permission for a follow-up call, which attempts to sell goods through a for-profit company. This operation resulted in a restraining order in Missouri in March 2006, but the operation continues in other states.
Even if one puts his number on the National Do Not Call Registry, a company with which the person has an established business relationship may call for up to 18 months after his/her last purchase or delivery from it, or last payment to it, unless the party specifically asks the company not to call again. (In that case, the company must honor the request not to call. If they subsequently call, they may be subject to a fine of up to $11,000 USD.) Also, if one makes an inquiry to a company or submits an application to it, for three months afterwards, the company can call. If one makes a specific request to that company not to call them, however, then the company may not call, even if you have an established business relationship with that company.
If one does not want to put a number on the national registry, they can still prohibit individual telemarketers, one by one, from calling by asking the telemarketer to put them on their company’s do-not-call list.
Despite a spate of emails warning to the contrary, cell phone numbers need not be included on the National Do Not Call Registry to avoid unsolicited calls. FCC regulations already in place prohibit telemarketers from calling a cellular phone number with an automatic dialer. Experts tell media sources that the false email turned urban legend probably started because cellular companies are developing wireless directories. However, cell numbers will not be included in the list unless consent is given.
Also not covered by this law are bill collectors (either primary creditors or collection agencies.). These callers are, however, regulated by other laws, such as those limiting them to calling during "reasonable hours." The right to not be pestered by creditors is only protected for debtors who file for bankruptcy protection.
Additional help for locating who is calling from mystery numbers:
Telemarketers, Collection Agencies and Other unknown numbers:
2193223160 219-322-3160 2197941304 219-794-1304 2198102553 219-810-2553 2196583052 219-658-3052
2194160033 219-416-0033 2193813010 219-381-3010 2193242500 219-324-2500 2196133396 219-613-3396
2199517203 219-951-7203 2199010221 219-901-0221 2193088493 219-308-8493 2193100849 219-310-0849
2193745354 219-374-5354 2198524355 219-852-4355 2197696454 219-769-6454 2192636533 219-263-6533
2199882683 219-988-2683 2193223948 219-322-3948 2197672498 219-767-2498 2194531565 219-453-1565
2195314820 219-531-4820 2193930592 219-393-0592 2198059071 219-805-9071 2196973297 219-697-3297
2197181670 219-718-1670 2197130960 219-713-0960 2193064368 219-306-4368 2194770230 219-477-0230
2194055504 219-405-5504 2198513197 219-851-3197 2198511734 219-851-1734 2193939262 219-393-9262
2197160060 219-716-0060 2193648508 219-364-8508 2194749522 219-474-9522 2192302307 219-230-2307
2199232059 219-923-2059 2193783140 219-378-3140 2199339100 219-933-9100 2194338955 219-433-8955
2199027586 219-902-7586 2195371391 219-537-1391 2199322300 219-932-2300 2193849869 219-384-9869
2198796210 219-879-6210 2193632621 219-363-2621 2197750012 219-775-0012 2193656539 219-365-6539
2196633210 219-663-3210 2194277461 219-427-7461 2194221363 219-422-1363 2193629514 219-362-9514
2196636700 219-663-6700 2192299006 219-229-9006 2199429567 219-942-9567 2199994328 219-999-4328
2193632210 219-363-2210 2194270890 219-427-0890 2195524258 219-552-4258 2192107599 219-210-7599
2197894716 219-789-4716 2193253967 219-325-3967 2197306488 219-730-6488 2198805578 219-880-5578
2198774790 219-877-4790 2193062679 219-306-2679 2197460866 219-746-0866 2198034474 219-803-4474
2193938830 219-393-8830 2195139692 219-513-9692 2195126816 219-512-6816 2198360652 219-836-0652
2197121668 219-712-1668 2197658086 219-765-8086 2199245640 219-924-5640 2199231780 219-923-1780
2198862879 219-886-2879 2196781337 219-678-1337 2195103723 219-510-3723 2198524360 219-852-4360
2198665010 219-866-5010 2194271320 219-427-1320 2192303008 219-230-3008 2196781360 219-678-1360
2199648373 219-964-8373 2197184232 219-718-4232 2192276708 219-227-6708 2199647079 219-964-7079
2196804400 219-680-4400 2199818912 219-981-8912 2196891550 219-689-1550 2194063247 219-406-3247
2198863004 219-886-3004 2196889774 219-688-9774 2197858432 219-785-8432 2192011166 219-201-1166
2198441633 219-844-1633 2193134210 219-313-4210 2199540055 219-954-0055 2197108110 219-710-8110
2196149346 219-614-9346 2193104814 219-310-4814 2195880836 219-588-0836 2196606700 219-660-6700
2197127375 219-712-7375 2199324330 219-932-4330 2199231902 219-923-1902 2198744506 219-874-4506
2192280115 219-228-0115 2198780674 219-878-0674 2195452299 219-545-2299 2193930851 219-393-0851
2196626700 219-662-6700 2192302074 219-230-2074 2196772850 219-677-2850 2193699098 219-369-9098
2199221344 219-922-1344 2193062050 219-306-2050 2199150054 219-915-0054 2193654226 219-365-4226
2197382334 219-738-2334 2193920405 219-392-0405 2195773152 219-577-3152 2193253219 219-325-3219
2193907239 219-390-7239 2193653845 219-365-3845 2195886486 219-588-6486 2193471234 219-347-1234
2199447069 219-944-7069 2198010064 219-801-0064 2199614102 219-961-4102 2192303800 219-230-3800
2196701097 219-670-1097 2199221545 219-922-1545 2197757102 219-775-7102 2198089847 219-808-9847
2197194921 219-719-4921 2199894773 219-989-4773 2193001200 219-300-1200 2198988789 219-898-8789
2199334560 219-933-4560 2199519223 219-951-9223 2192101137 219-210-1137 2196773558 219-677-3558
2199794450 219-979-4450 2192278448 219-227-8448 2194064402 219-406-4402 2192263306 219-226-3306
2199326044 219-932-6044 2198524364 219-852-4364 2198034412 219-803-4412 2199425560 219-942-5560
2199641008 219-964-1008 2197420221 219-742-0221 2199403759 219-940-3759 2194644668 219-464-4668
2198524356 219-852-4356 2193907097 219-390-7097 2192033807 219-203-3807 2193899931 219-389-9931
2198193613 219-819-3613 2194629252 219-462-9252 2194771841 219-477-1841 2193942667 219-394-2667
2196144252 219-614-4252 2195837967 219-583-7967 2193621404 219-362-1404 2197431638 219-743-1638
2198702013 219-870-2013 2193638078 219-363-8078 2198667232 219-866-7232 2193082288 219-308-2288
2196826363 219-682-6363 2198514731 219-851-4731 2197418483 219-741-8483 2192303808 219-230-3808
2195371972 219-537-1972 2196788880 219-678-8880 2195890214 219-589-0214 2193225144 219-322-5144
2193255895 219-325-5895 2194640123 219-464-0123 2195550000 219-555-0000 2193930683 219-393-0683
2193694306 219-369-4306 2194271461 219-427-1461 2199929846 219-992-9846 2197360810 219-736-0810
2192303807 219-230-3807 2195616079 219-561-6079 2198516096 219-851-6096 2199628616 219-962-8616
2192302073 219-230-2073 2197719067 219-771-9067 2196712726 219-671-2726 2194333534 219-433-3534
2199726132 219-972-6132 2197309491 219-730-9491 2198088932 219-808-8932 2197854132 219-785-4132
2199150005 219-915-0005 2192808919 219-280-8919 2196619258 219-661-9258 2195888638 219-588-8638
2194278434 219-427-8434 2197965217 219-796-5217 2197185959 219-718-5959 2194773900 219-477-3900
2198988791 219-898-8791 2195752966 219-575-2966 2198514199 219-851-4199 2197928632 219-792-8632
2199166328 219-916-6328 2195777280 219-577-7280 2196973503 219-697-3503 2193744581 219-374-4581
2196147447 219-614-7447 2195315749 219-531-5749 2191964582 219-196-4582 2197857012 219-785-7012
2198430800 219-843-0800 2192109876 219-210-9876 2198055808 219-805-5808 2199435214 219-943-5214
2197180914 219-718-0914 2199562618 219-956-2618 2198084387 219-808-4387 2199029876 219-902-9876
2197765681 219-776-5681 2193223034 219-322-3034 2198725821 219-872-5821 2193225071 219-322-5071
2196283595 219-628-3595 2194559467 219-455-9467 2199516332 219-951-6332 2198052953 219-805-2953
2197461379 219-746-1379 2196165454 219-616-5454 2197430000 219-743-0000 2193622464 219-362-2464
2193081937 219-308-1937 2197945036 219-794-5036 2198524359 219-852-4359 2193975095 219-397-5095
2196973217 219-697-3217 2197988057 219-798-8057 2197935044 219-793-5044 2197599970 219-759-9970
2198719574 219-871-9574 2198988783 219-898-8783 2197969331 219-796-9331 2195614713 219-561-4713
2196089725 219-608-9725 2195338042 219-533-8042 2193639755 219-363-9755 2195860999 219-586-0999
2196384087 219-638-4087 2193625555 219-362-5555 2193087714 219-308-7714 2192630505 219-263-0505
2192327925 219-232-7925 2196706285 219-670-6285 2192106180 219-210-6180 2198400618 219-840-0618
2194051787 219-405-1787 2198419267 219-841-9267 2199214363 219-921-4363 2197697602 219-769-7602
2199383728 219-938-3728 2197626876 219-762-6876 2196639328 219-663-9328 2195764404 219-576-4404
2192613500 219-261-3500 2194066518 219-406-6518 2199873406 219-987-3406 2198440654 219-844-0654
2195124379 219-512-4379 2197964502 219-796-4502 2199942308 219-994-2308 2199427267 219-942-7267
2196632210 219-663-2210 2198524350 219-852-4350 2198054119 219-805-4119 2198510610 219-851-0610
2198392146 219-839-2146 2196828358 219-682-8358 2197381200 219-738-1200 2197423100 219-742-3100
2192450400 219-245-0400 2199441106 219-944-1106 2198648624 219-864-8624 2194890000 219-489-0000
2193788433 219-378-8433 2193107372 219-310-7372 2193624477 219-362-4477 2195860050 219-586-0050
2193066936 219-306-6936 2199948294 219-994-8294 2192185198 219-218-5198 2199231781 219-923-1781
2193640447 219-364-0447 2192103828 219-210-3828 2194770847 219-477-0847 2192303608 219-230-3608
2192423200 219-242-3200 2196771833 219-677-1833 2192870420 219-287-0420 2194622196 219-462-2196
2199733724 219-973-3724 2192280121 219-228-0121 2193244562 219-324-4562
2195616071 219-561-6071 2197755521 219-775-5521 2197643619 219-764-3619
2191320964 219-132-0964 2192010314 219-201-0314 2196954218 219-695-4218
000 002 006 025 032 044 090 111 121 123 124 130 187 188 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 210 212
213 215 216 217 218 219 222 223 224 225 229 230 231 234 239 240 248 250 251 252 253 254 256 262 267
269 270 276 281 289 300 301 302 303 304 305 307 308 309 310 311 312 313 314 315 316 317 318 319 320
321 323 330 333 336 339 345 347 351 352 360 361 368 380 386 400 401 402 403 404 405 406 407 408 409
410 412 413 414 415 416 417 418 419 423 425 434 435 440 441 442 443 444 448 454 469 478 479 480 484
500 501 502 503 504 505 506 507 508 509 510 512 513 514 515 516 517 518 519 520 522 529 530 540 541
551 553 559 561 562 563 566 570 571 573 585 586 600 601 602 603 604 605 606 607 608 609 610 612 613
614 615 616 617 618 619 623 626 630 631 636 646 647 650 651 654 656 660 661 662 668 678 682 691 700
701 702 703 704 705 706 707 708 712 713 714 715 716 717 718 719 720 727 732 734 740 747 757 760 763
765 770 772 773 774 775 777 780 781 785 786 787 800 801 802 803 804 805 806 808 809 810 812 813 814
815 816 817 818 819 830 831 832 843 845 847 850 856 858 859 860 862 863 864 865 866 869 870 876 877
886 887 888 899 901 902 903 904 905 906 907 908 909 910 912 913 914 915 916 917 918 919 920 925 928
936 937 940 941 945 949 951 952 954 956 970 971 972 973 978 979 981 983 985 989 994 998 999