How To File a Complaint with FTC

The following are instances where you should consider filing a complaint against a telemarketer.

If you:

  • Have been on the Do Not Call Registry for at least 31 days and are contacted by a telemarketer who is not exempt.
  • Receive a telemarketing call that you believe is a scam or is misleading.
  • Are solicited to pay a fee to join the National Do Not Call Registry.
  • Are not put on a company's internal do not call list after requesting to be.
  • Have received a junk fax without having an existing business relationship with the sender.

You will need to compile as much information about the company as possible to include with your complaint: the company's phone number as transmitted through Caller ID or your fax machine, or provided verbally by the telemarketer, the name of the company, and date of the call or fax. If the telemarketer says it is calling on behalf of another company, you can ask for the name of the telemarketing company in addition to the name of the company on whose behalf they are calling. Read our Telemarketing Script for more details.

Do not forget to provide your phone number on the complaint, especially if you are listed on the National Registry. If you are complaining about a junk fax, be sure to provide your fax number on the complaint. Both the Federal Trade Commission and Federal Communications Commission can fine telemarketers up to $11,000 per violation.

Complaints may be made to Federal Trade Commission (FTC):

Comments

  • 0
    ryan ferrin
    | 9 replies
    do not call me anymore.  you are wasting my minutes and are damn annoying.  954-905-4034, 307-215-1001, 888-685-0042, 954-905-4135, 954-585-3627, 800-793-0282
  • 0
    Allison
    | 8 replies
    I was called by 207-427-5764, and they said your warrenty for your car is about the expire I should have stayed on the line but I just hung up and came to this Web page and others were called by the same # and it is a strange because they called back and talked to people that hung up on them so it seems to be something wrong here!
  • 0
    Jennifer replies to ryan ferrin
    | 7 replies
    Hi .. I saw ur message about a call from 307-215-1001 ... Do you happen to know what they want?? They left me a weird voicemail.. tha guy actually thot he was talking to me.. not my voicemail!  but he sounded upset! lol so if you know what they possibly want.. please let me know! thanks :)
  • 0
    Mike replies to Allison
    There is a special thread for 207-427-5764:

    https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-207-427-5764
  • 0
    Mike replies to Jennifer
    There is a special thread for the 307-215-1001 number. Follow this link to find it.

    https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-307-215-1001


    Here are discussion threads for other phone numbers mentioned in the first post:

    https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-888-685-0042
    https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-954-905-4135
    https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-800-793-0282
  • 0
    roxanne
    | 4 replies
    Tons of calls from 267-851-6441. Beware these people are trying to scam you. Asking for bank account numbers, credit card or social security number
  • 0
    dean
    | 8 replies
    Note that the Federal Do No Call registry above will not accept a complaint if your number is not already on the registry.  Thus, the last four bullet points (scam, fee, refused, fax) can't be submitted via the fed's web-form.

    However, the "soprry we can't help you" defaults to a page which allows you to submit 3 numbers to the registry with a verifiable e-mail address.
  • 0
    BusinessReporter.net
    I've received numerious calls from these SCAM Pharmacies from numbers, 888-886-5039, 866-887-0830, 866-830-0738, 305-999-7788, 305-212-2002, 800-935-3591.  I found ONE call back number for this outfit which does work and it's 888-886-5039.  So if you get calls from any of the above numbers, you can call them back and give them a piece of your mind at 888-886-5039.  BusinessReporter.net
  • 0
    Dean replies to roxanne
  • 0
    Dave
    | 1 reply
    Does no good to file a complaint with the FTC. The FTC doesn't do a damn thing except file the report.
  • 0
    Cameron
    | 2 replies
    FTC=P.O.S.

    I have definitely registered my telephone number on multiple occasions.
    Each time I go to submit a complaint about a telemarketer, I come to find out that my number is no longer registered with the FTC.
  • 0
    Cameron replies to dean
    | 5 replies
    Somehow, the FTC database "forgot" that I registered with them last 2 years ago
  • 0
    THE Ken
    | 1 reply
    FTC and states have enacted Do Not Call laws, but have no punitive action in these laws.  The Texas AG actually refuses to "Get involved"  I suggest you write to your state legislators and congresspersons to put some enforcement teeth in the laws.  Texas is almost a lost cause as the telemarketers have determined that the law is a joke and they are immune.
  • 0
    Jason
    That link above is for do-not-call registry phone numbers only. What about scam calls to my cell phone?
  • 0
    MirthScout
    | 1 reply
    Good question, Jason.

    Unsolicited calls to cell phones and fax machines are supposed to be illegal.  So, how do we report the offenders.  I just got a call that was a recorded message from 304-436-6033.  And 4 text messages.  All within 15 minutes.  Are they all related or just a coincidence?  Can't even list the text messages here since the number shows as "810-00".  2 of the text messages list an email address: info@bid4prizes.com.
    Smells like at least 1 scam.

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