TERRE HAUTE —
Those annoying, dinner-interrupting telephone calls from telemarketers use to be a thing of the past thanks to Indiana’s stringent Do Not Call legislation.
But Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller said Wednesday in Terre Haute that telephone privacy is once again under attack, and it’s time to find more effective ways to prevent Hoosiers from receiving unwanted calls and text messages.
“I’ll be the first to admit that we’re losing ground,” Zoeller said as he announced a series of roundtable discussions to strengthen Indiana’s 12-year-old law.
Zoeller said the number of Do Not Call complaints submitted to his office for the first half of 2012 is more than double that of last year.
“It’s clear that despite the state’s tough telephone privacy laws, we are losing ground in protecting Hoosiers as scammers are finding ways to skirt the system,” Zoeller said. “Robo-call and caller ID spoofing technology has outpaced state and national efforts, and it’s critical we find ways to better combat this problem. That’s why these roundtable discussions will draw on investigators, experts and industry leaders to find more effective, comprehensive solutions.”
Zoeller said that robo-calls can dial 10,000 lines per minute, seeking callers who will stay on the line long enough to respond to bogus offers.
He offers advice to anyone who gets such a call.
“Hang up as quick as you can because they will seek leads on people who will listen to their message, and then they’ll sell those leads to others,” Zoeller said. “Don’t yell into the phone. There’s nobody there to hear you.”
About 53 percent of the unwanted call complaints to his office concern credit card interest rate reductions scams, and about 13 percent concern sweepstakes or prize-related scams — such as text messages offering free Walmart gift cards.
He said he has already spoken with federal officials, valid telemarketing groups, consumer protection organizations and others about how to better trace illegal calls, prosecute violators and combat the caller ID spoofing technology.
Of the 14,588 unwanted call complaints that have come in this year, he said, about half are unable to be pursued because the calls originate outside of the U.S. or used caller ID spoofing technology. He also estimates that at least 70 percent of unwanted calls are scams.
The roundtable discussions will highlight and explore current investigative efforts, complaint trends, scams, technology challenges, enforcement efforts and legislative options. The first session was conducted in Indianapolis on Tuesday, while future discussions will occur in Evansville and Fort Wayne.
Zoeller said he plans to present testimony to the Federal Trade Commission during its robo-call summit in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 18.
Reporter Lisa Trigg can be reached at (812) 231-4254 or lisa.trigg@
tribstar.com. Follow her on Twitter @TribStarLisa.
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