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The Federal Trade Commission today issued the National Do Not Call Registry Data Book for Fiscal Year 2011. The FTC’s National Do Not Call Registry provides consumers with an easy way to stop unwanted telemarketing calls. In its third year of publication, the Data Book contains a wealth of information about the Registry for FY 2011, including:

• The number of active registrations and consumer complaint figures since the Registry began in 2003;
• FY 2011 complaint figures by month and complaint type;
• FY 2011 registration and complaint figures for all 50 states and the District of Columbia by population;
• The number of entities accessing the Registry by fiscal year; and
• An appendix on registration and complaint data by consumer state and area code.

According to the Data Book, at the end of FY 2011 (September 30, 2011), the Do Not Call Registry contained 209,722,924 actively registered phone numbers, up from 201,542,535 at the end of FY 2010. In addition, the number of consumer complaints about unwanted telemarketing calls increased from 1,633,819 at the end of FY 2010 to 2,272,662 at the end of FY 2011.

This year’s Data Book also reveals trends in complaint data. In addition to providing information on the total number of consumer complaints per month, it also contains data on the number of monthly complaints specifically related to pre-recorded telemarketing “robocalls,” and requests for a telemarketer to stop calling.

While the number of consumer complaints about recorded messages used in telemarketing hit a low of 79,592 in April 2011, for example, the data show that the number of complaints about such calls have increased consistently since then, reaching 140,503 in September 2011. Most telemarketing robocalls have been illegal since September 2009. The FTC remains committed to stopping deceptive, misleading, and otherwise unlawful robocalls, and will take action against entities violating the agency’s Telemarketing Sales Rule.

Information for consumers about the Do Not Call Registry, company-specific do not call requests, and telemarketer Caller ID requirements can be found here and here on the FTC’s website, and consumers can sign up for the National Registry for free here.

FTC Warns Consumers About Scammers Claiming to be Calling From the Do Not Call Registry

The Federal Trade Commission wants consumers to know that scammers recently have been making phone calls claiming to represent the National Do Not Call Registry. The callers offer to provide an opportunity to sign up for the Registry. These calls are not coming from the Registry or the FTC, however, and consumers should not respond to them.

To add a number to the Registry for free at any time, consumers can call toll-free 1-888-382-1222 from the phone they wish to register, or go to www.donotcall.gov to sign up.

The Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish, visit the FTC’s online Complaint Assistant or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). The FTC enters complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 2,000 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. The FTC’s website provides free information on a variety of consumer topics. Like the FTC on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.