Do Not Call Registry

The National Do Not Call Registry, managed by the FTC, allows US consumers and businesses to register their telephone numbers to reduce unwanted telemarketing calls. Registration is free, permanent, and takes effect 31 days after sign-up at donotcall.gov or by calling 1-888-382-1222. Telemarketers are legally required to check the registry and avoid calling registered numbers, with fines of up to $51,744 per violation.

Exemptions include calls from charities, political organisations, survey firms, and businesses with which the consumer has an established relationship within 18 months. This means many 'robocalls' — automated calls using illegal spoofed numbers — are not deterred by the registry because the callers are already breaking the law.

For scam-awareness purposes, an unsolicited call from a business you have no relationship with is a red flag regardless of registry status. Sophisticated scam operations spoof legitimate numbers and ignore the registry entirely. The FTC and FCC pursue enforcement actions against illegal robocallers, but the cross-border nature of most operations limits effectiveness.