Unwanted: robocalls, telemarketers

From the April Newsletter of the
Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services
April 3, 2018 1:51 p.m.

Unwanted and illegal telemarketing calls continue to be an issue for Florida consumers. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services received over 19,000 complaints regarding Do Not Call/Telemarketing in 2017.

Florida’s Do Not Call List has grown to include more than 1 million phone numbers since Commissioner Adam Putnam worked with the Legislature in 2012 to remove the fee to join. Under Florida’s DNC law, it is unlawful for telemarketers to do any of the following:

  • Make telephone sales calls before 8 am or after 9 pm local time;
  • Not provide their name and telephone number;
  • Use auto dialers with prerecorded messages; and
  • Call a number on the DNC List.

Violators of the law could face civil penalties of up to $10,000 per violation and injunctive relief.

Advances in technology have made it possible for scammers to manipulate caller ID information, allowing them to “spoof” caller ID information to hide the caller’s true identity. Spoofing can make it difficult for consumers to determine if the caller is legitimate or not.

In November 2017, the Federal Communications Commission adopted rules that will allow voice service providers (phone companies) to proactively block calls that are likely to be fraudulent because they come from certain types of phone numbers.

What can you do to help?

  1. Subscribe: Add your numbers to Florida’s DNC List.
  2. Report: File a complaint. Complaints are crucial to the success of the Florida DNC Program. The information you provide could potentially help identify violators.
  3. Contact Your Service Provider: Ask if your provider offers any call blocking technology.
  4. Stay Informed: Research and support call-blocking solutions.

Consumer Expo to Fight Illegal Robocalls

On April 23, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will co-host a Technology Expo for consumers at the Pepco Edison Place Gallery in Washington, D.C. This event will feature technologies, devices, and applications to minimize or eliminate the illegal robocalls consumers receive.

The FTC and FCC have worked closely with phone companies, tech innovators, and others to find solutions for consumers to the problems of illegal robocalls and malicious spoofing.

More information on this Expo, including how innovators can seek to participate, is available at https://www.fcc.gov/news-events/events/2018/04/stop-illegal-robocalls-expo.


The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is the state’s clearinghouse for consumer complaints, protection, and information. Consumers who believe fraud has taken place can contact the department’s consumer protection and information hotline by calling 1-800-HELP-FLA (435-7352) or, for Spanish speakers, 1-800-FL-AYUDA (352-9832) or visit us online at FloridaConsumerHelp.com.