This is a rather long answer to some posters who seem to think the scammers use the DNC list to obtain numbers to call, or who think the DNC list does not work. If you are not one of those people, consider exiting this informative lesson now.
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Since you are still here, you need some help. Allow me to present it in a very simple fashion ... not to insult your intelligence, but to attempt to get the idea across to even those who have difficulty understanding more complicated answers.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Robodialers for Dummies ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Can you count?
If you answered "yes", that is a good start. Try counting from 1 to 10 now. I will wait.
..........
Finished? Good.
I want you to think "0" instead of "10". Got it?
Now, get a piece of paper and a pen or pencil, and write down those 10 numbers. Here, I will help you, in case your forgot:
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Now get ready to write down some more numbers. I want you to write them down in the following format:
ABC-DEF-GHIJ
Yes, I know those are letters, but I want you to use numbers, instead.
Think of a number between 0 and 9 ... pick one from the list I gave above, if you wish.
Write it down, instead of the "A", above
Do that nine more times, writing it down instead of the other letters.
Now, look at the result.
Does it ring a bell?
It should, because you just wrote down a phone number!
Mr Computer is very good at making numbers.
Mr Computer can do what you just did in a fraction of a second.
In other words, Mr Computer can make and dial phone numbers VERY quickly.
Spammers and scammers who know about Mr Computer do not need to register and buy the DNC list.
Spammers and scammers who know about Mr Computer can even dial "unlisted" numbers, or "private numbers" or "brand-new numbers you just got"!
The DNC list is not a magic switch that blocks these calls from reaching your phone. It is merely a list.
There, now you know all about how spammers can dial YOUR phone number, even if it is unlisted, and even if only relatives know it, and even if it is on or off the DNC list.
I hope that helps prove the DNC list DOES work! It helps prevent calls from registered / legitimate telemarketers, but it is not able to stop calls from telespammers. It is also NOT designed to stop political callers (who usually get the numbers from voter registration lists), calls from charities, or some other companies, such as debt collectors.
Since when has any law or regulation stopped criminal activity? Legit businesses do indeed screen against the list when conducting telephone sales campaigns or doing lead generation calls. That tells you all you need to know about callers who violate the rules.
This is the latest greatest scammy/spammy way to do business apparently.
It works like this: When you call somebody, if they answer or a machine answers, you pay for the call. If you just let the phone ring once or twice however, you DON'T pay for the call since the other party never responded (how slick is that, eh). It does set a number in the other person's caller ID though, so they can call you back and--- get this-- pay for the call that you're using to sell something! Man, what a deal! You get to annoy somebody with an unwanted sales pitch, and make that person pay for the privilege of being annoyed by you! What's not to like if you're an underhanded scammer/spammer?
For the rest of us it's getting simple too though. You get a one or two-ring call, you see the number in caller ID. Is it someone you know? If it is, call back and enjoy the conversation. If it isn't--- and most of these two-ring calls are not-- then you have two choices-- ruling out "call back" because pest likelihood is very high-- which is either delete the number and forget about it, or wait until you can Google the number, come to a site like this one and find out for sure that it's a pest. It depends on how curious you are at this point which you do. I've done both.