In the past month, Cooper’s office has won more than $50,000 from telemarketers that violated the law.
“Some telemarketers just won’t stop calling people even after they’ve made it clear they don’t want to be bothered at home,” Cooper said. “Thanks to consumers who let us know when they get unwanted calls, we’re able to go after these illegal telemarketers and make them stop calling.”
Since late March, Cooper’s Do Not Call Enforcement Team has won $53,500 from four telemarketers that made calls to North Carolina consumers on the registry.
That brings to more than $200,000 the total amount that the state has won from 16 violators since the registry began Oct. 1, 2003.
Cooper said he is actively pursuing cases against several other companies in the courts.
Several other companies are currently under investigation.
Complaints from people who have gotten unwanted telemarketing calls enable the Do Not Call Enforcement Team to go after violators.
Since the Registry began, nearly 4,000 North Carolinians who signed up for the registry but still received telemarketing calls have filed written complaints with the attorney general’s office.
To report telemarketers, consumers can call 1-877-5-NO-SCAM toll-free within the state or go to www.nocallsnc.com to fill out a Do Not Call complaint form. When filing a complaint, consumers should provide their name and address, the date and approximate time of the call, their telephone number that the telemarketer called, and the company’s name and/or telephone number.
Consumers can file a complaint once they have been listed in the Registry for one month.
More than 2 million North Carolina numbers have been placed on the Do Not Call Registry since consumers began signing up in July 2003. Consumers can continue to add their home and mobile telephone numbers to the list by going to www.nocallsnc.com or calling 1-888-382-1222 within North Carolina from the number they wish to register.
