Telemarketing scammers use the internet's VOIP technology to "spoof" their phone numbers, which means they can get your Caller I.D. to display anything they want, from inactive phone numbers to FBI Headquarters (great for scamming). For that matter, if they're using the internet to place phone calls, they don't even have phone numbers.
Do Not Call List was good while it lasted. Waste of time today.
Best hope is for the phone company to start blocking calls from spoofed phone numbers.
In summary, telemarketing scammer phone numbers displayed on your Caller I.D. is universally spoofed and useless for reporting to The List, the FCC, the FTC, or anything, except for 800notes.com; thanks.
Answered the phone to hear a recorded message from "Cathy at the carpet cleaning company" claiming that we are past customers and asking if we needed our carpets or upholstery cleaned. We did have carpet cleaners out several weeks ago but their phone number was not this one (or anything similar to it, apart from the area code) and they identified themselves in their calls to me with the company name. Caller ID said "Out of area" -- though the area code shown was the same as ours and the number was from a nearby suburb. When I called the number back it was answered by a recorded message thanking me for calling "the Northern Virginia Carpet Cleaners" -- which was NOT the company I hired to clean my carpets.
received a call similar to the one above. Call was on my cell phone, and the name of the company was nothing like any company I ever used. I hung up and did not return the call.
I got the call this afternoon - a recorded message from Kathy. Problem is, we've never used this company before. So, they are in violation of the "Do Not Call" prohibition. Does it work to pursue these callers? Absolutely not. I once wrote to the FCC. They took almost four months to respond, then shoved it off on another government agency. That Do Not Call list is totally worthless.
I am getting these calls from 'Kathy' at the carpet cleaning company. I have never had my carpets professionally cleaned AND am on the Do Not Call list. Checked with the Virginia Better Business Bureau as the number on Caller ID stated the company's name was "Northern Virginia Carpet Cleaners". Surprise!-the VA BBB states the company does not exist.
I,too,wish we had more resources to stop these sham calls.