The National Political Do Not Contact Registry - Stop Political Calls BLOG

National Political Do Not Contact Registry News Clip

This is the video of the clip from John Matarese of WCPO Channel 9 ABC "Don't Waste Your Money".

I did receive permission to upload this on the web.

Let us know what you think.

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Consumer Reports - Phone Scams and New Tricks

Great story on CBS, The Early Show, with Consumer Reports Sr. Editor, Mandy Walker, on five of the latest consumer phone scams to be aware of.

I personally have not received any of these scams.  Have you?

Click here to see the video.

Here is the article in Consumer Reports.

Here is a transcript of the story on CBS:

Phone Scammers Trying New Tricks

NEW YORK, Aug. 21, 2007

(CBS) Many people think they're too smart to fall for a scam, but according to an article in the current issue of Consumer Reports (www.consumerreports.org), scammers are using some new ploys aimed at savvy consumers.

Mandy Walker, a senior editor of the magazine, visited The Early Show Tuesday to warn viewers about what to keep an eye out for.

Actually — an ear! All involve would-be thieves calling potential victims.

SCAM: CALLER SAYS 'YOU'VE JUST WON ...'

Someone calls to say you've just won something like a valuable prize or foreign lottery. To get it, you're told that you have to wire money or send it overnight to pay for insurance, taxes and shipping costs.

The new twist is that scammers are using telephone-number spoofing technology through the Internet to disguise their real phone numbers on your caller ID with legitimate numbers of federal agencies in Washington, D.C., such as that of the Federal Trade Commission. They may also make up a name that sounds official. According to the real FTC, more than 45,000 people reported scams like this in 2006.

Tip: Remember that real sweepstakes don't require up-front payments. So, consider any request for money a red flag.

SCAM: CALLER SAYS "THERE'S A PROBLEM WITH YOUR BANK ACCOUNT"

The way this works is that you receive a call saying there's a problem and they can help you resolve it. All you have to do is to give your Social Security number, account number, or online password to a phony e-mail address or Web site. In one scheme, people were tricked into thinking they were dealing with Bank of America and asked to reconfirm their account information by going to a Web site that turned out to be fake.

Tip: Never give personal information to unsolicited callers. If you're not sure if the call is legitimate, get the number of the company on your own and call back. Tell someone there about the call you received.

SCAM: CALLER SAYS "YOU DON'T NEED A PHYSICAL TO QUALIFY FOR THIS HEALTH INSURANCE!"

People are vulnerable to falling for this one because there is so much discussion today about health insurance and premiums going up. "You will be offered a plan that sounds too good to be true," Walker says. "They will tell you that you can participate in a union's plan that you don't belong to and get low rates. If you ask about licenses and if their company is registered with the state, they will say they don't have to be because they are an association."

Tip: Check with your state insurance department to see if the agent is licensed to sell a plan and if the company and the plan are with the state department.

SCAM: CALLER SAYS "YOU DIDN'T SHOW UP FOR JURY DUTY!"

The scammer calls up and pretends to be a court officer and threatens to arrest you for not showing up, even though you weren't notified. You're asked to provide your name and Social Security number to fix things. Approximately 1 million computer users have fallen for this one in the past two years.

Tip: This is similar to the bank account problem scam. Don't provide personal information to someone who calls unsolicited. Also, put your number on the National Do Not Call Registry at www.donotcall.gov or 1-888-382-1222.

SCAM: CALLER SAYS "THIS STOCK IS AT 50 CENTS AND GOING UP TO $5 OR $6. BUY NOW!"

The way this works is that someone leaves you a voice mail message, supposedly for the wrong person. Messages like this have enticed some people to call and buy the stock. It's called a "pump and dump" scheme. It usually involves a micro-cap stock. The price is pushed up, then it's dumped, with your shares being worthless by the time you catch on.

Tip: Ignore unsolicited pitches and "wrong number" tips for any investment. Also beware of any friend who volunteers to give you inside advice. Do your own research, and invest on your own initiative.

ADDING INSULT TO INJURY

Walker says people are also being re-victimized: Scammers calling themselves "recovery operators" are buying lists of people who reported losing money in phony investment schemes!

146 Million Telephone Numbers Registered by Consumers on the Federal DNC Registry

According to testimony by Lydia Parnes, Director of the Bureau of Consumer Protection at the Federal Trade Commission,

Consumers have registered more than 146 million telephone numbers since the Registry became operational in June 2003, and the Do Not Call program has been tremendously successful in protecting consumers’ privacy from unwanted  telemarketing calls.  A Harris Interactive® Survey released in January 2006 showed that 94% of  American adults have heard of the Registry and 76% have signed up for it.29  Ninety-two percent of those polled reported receiving fewer telemarketing calls.

Twenty-seven of the Commission’s telemarketing cases have alleged Do Not Call violations, resulting in $8.8 million in civil penalties and $8.6 million in redress or disgorgement ordered.

Have you submitted a complaint?

Was it resolved?

PA State Do Not Call List Starts to Expire First Group of Registrants from 2002

According to Attorney General's office in the State of Pennsylvania

Registration on the Do Not Call list is only valid for five years from the date you initially register, or when a telephone number is no longer valid. For example.if you were among the first group of registrants in 2002, you must re-register by September 15, 2007, or your number will be dropped from the Do Not Call list on November 1, 2007.

Learn more at the Attorney General's website.

The AG is Tom Corbett.

Are we a nation in retreat from politics and public life?

I had a very interesting lunch today with a friend and a staffer at the Harwood Institute. 

The Harwood Institute is a non-profit organization whose mission is to:

... help people imagine and act for the public good.

Rich Harwood, who started the Institute more than 20 years ago, has recently published a book Hope Unraveled: The People’s Retreat and Our Way Back in which he:

states that we are not a nation divided between red states and blue states, urban and rural, secular and spiritual. The problem facing our society is in fact much deeper and more troubling: We are a nation in retreat from politics and public life.

This is a profound and deeply troubling observation. 

I fear, however, that it is true.   

Personally I know many people who have given up on politics and politicians.  People who have given up on America and what the American ideal is.   Think about the rise of the "exurb" and gated communities.  These are simply manifestations of the desire of people to retreat from the public space to take care of their own.

What do you think about this statement?

How would you suggest moving beyond "red" and "blue"?

How can we as a nation and a people have civil discourse?  Have we ever?

   

 

Who robo calls the most? Democrats or Republicans?

In the last election cycle, according to the PEW Internet & American Life project, 64% of American voters received a robo call (automated phone call). 

While both sides use robo calls to get out the vote (GOTV) and to survey voters on issues, we are interested in your opinion on if one party or the other uses robo calls more?

How about "dirty trick" robo calls?   There were several articles in the 2006 election about one side or the other using robo calls to perform dirty tricks. 

Do you have direct experience with these "dirty trick" robo calls?

Let CCD know your thoughts on this issue.

What do you dislike the most?

CCD would like your opinion on which type of political discourse you dislike the most?   

What type of political discourse would you like to control the most?

Here are just a few:

1. Robo Calls or automated calls from candidates and other entities
2. Volunteer calls from phone banks
3. Fund raising calls
4. Emails
5. Faxes
6. Phone calls to your cell phone
7. Direct mail to your home
8. Direct mail to your office
9. Instant messages
10. Other?

Comment and let CCD know what you think and why?

Canada Releases Do Not Call Guidelines, Politicans required to maintain their own DNC lists

(July 3, 2007) Almost 2 years after Canada decided to create a national do not call registry the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) set out the rules for the creation and operation of a National Do Not Call List (National DNCL) for Canadians who wish to avoid unsolicited calls.

Unfortunately, these rules will not come into effect until an operator has been chosen and the list is fully operational.

Unlike the US DNC list, however, exempted organizations will be required to maintain their own do not call registries.

As usual, politicians tell us to do as they say, not as they do

Did you know that the federal Do Not Call list exempts politicians from being required to participate, even though it is the right thing for them to do? 

After all, 132 million of us have taken the time to register our phone numbers with the Do Not Call Registry so that commercial organizations can no longer call us while we are eating dinner with our families. 

And I'd venture a guess that most of us that signed for the national Do Not Call Registry would not like to receive calls from politicians either.

But, politicians like to think that they should be able to get more than the rest of us.  For example:

Like health care benefits politicians have but the rest of us do not.  While 40 million of us remain uncovered by private health insurance, politicians remain covered by gold plated federal health care benefits, for life.

Like pension plan benefits politicians avail themselves of even though they are convicted criminals.  While the rest of us are lucky to have pensions at all, some politicians continue to receive benefits even though they are convicted criminals.

The reason politicians don't participate in the Federal Do Not Call Registry is because political speech is considered protected by the First Amendment and therefore can not be regulated as commercial speech is.   

I don't disagree with this.  I don't want the courts regulating political speech either.

However, when 132 million of us sign up for a Do Not Call registry, you would think that the politicians would want do the right thing.   

Right?

Wrong.

Stop Political Telemarketing Calls and join the National Political Do Not Contact Registry Today

Citizens For Civil Discourse, a non partisan non profit grass roots organization, is developing the nation's first National Political Do Not Contact Registry.    As seen in the press and on TV (ABC), Citizens For Civil Discourse is fighting back against politicians calling us whenever and however they want by taking back control of the political conversation.

Do you enjoy getting automated robo calls (automated telemarketing calls) from politicians at all hours of the day and night? Did you know that some voters get up to 10 robo calls a day.

Would you like to reduce or eliminate these calls?   We do.

Click Here to send an email to join our early launch list for the National Political Do Not Contact Registry.   (Let us know 1) what you would like to tell your politicians about this issue and 2) where you heard about us (TV, radio, news, blogs, etc...) The registry will go live in the early Fall of 2007 and you will be notified via email to sign up.

Did you also know that according to the Pew Internet & American Life Project 64% of all US voters received automated robo calls in the 2006 election?

Were you one of them?

Citizens for Civil Discourse (CCD) is a new non partisan non-profit (501 C3) grass roots organization whose mission it is to elevate the political discussion in the United States by giving you, the voter, control of the political discussion. 

Starting with a National Political Do Not Contact Registry.

Send us an email and we'll put you on our registry launch list! (Let us know 1) what you would like to tell your politicians about this issue and 2) where you heard about us (TV, radio, news, blogs, etc...)

It is our belief that you, not the politicians, should be able to control the political discussion.  After all, who represents whom in Washington, DC?

We want to:

• Establish The National Political Do Not Contact Registry
• Let you control how you would like to be contacted
  
  • Via phone
• Via email
• Via regular mail
• In person "Door to Door"
• Let you control who you want to contact you
  • All candidates
  • Only specific party candidates (Democrat, Republican, other)
  • Only specific candidates (Hillary, Rudy, other)
  
  What do you think?

Let us know if you'd like to join this grass roots organization to take back control of the political conversation from the politicians and give it back to you, the American voter.   

Send us an email and we'll put you on our National Political Do Not Contact Registry launch list! (Let us know 1) what you would like to tell your politicians about this issue and 2) where you heard about us (TV, radio, news, blogs, etc...)

 

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