Thanks for the post Beryl. Just got this call; did not answer because it usually is a telemarketer if it's not in my contact list. Always good to get positive confirmation from someone else. Wish we could get the real contact info on these companies and report them to the FTC.
Something to keep in mind, especially when it's election time. After the enactment of the Do Not Call Registry, Congress put our tax dollars to work by writing legislation that provides companies with a few loopholes.
An example is that when I give money to any charity, say Doctors Without Borders, that organization along with it's outsourced marketing company can legally take my name off the Do Not Call Registry and add it to their marketing list and anyone they may share their list with. Cool huh!??
You see there are a handful marketing/management companies that service the majority of the med/large charities, which means one of these companies may manage tens to hundreds of different charities.
For those of you who have not given to any charities, remember there were multiple loopholes written into this legislation and this was but one example. If it happens that you are able to speak to a live person, make sure you tell them to take you name off their list as they are legally obliged to do so.
The other interesting point is that many of these legit marketing companies as well as the scammers use
a trace calling technique where an automated calling system calls your number at different times of the day over a period of time. When you answer the phone, a time entry is logged into their system. The objective is to determine when the greatest chance is you will be home or pick up your phone. Then they will spend the money to have a live person call you.