Registrations on Wisconsin’s Do Not Call list for telemarketers peaked last summer at 2.3 million numbers. Since then, Division of Trade and Consumer Protection administrator Sandy Chalmers says they have been on the decline, with almost 300,000 numbers falling off in the last year.
Chalmers says it’s unclear why it’s happening, although a large reason may be that people forget they have to sign up again every two years. Another factor could be that more people are dropping their land lines in favor of cell phones. Both numbers can be added to the list.
Wisconsin residents have until the end of May to sign up for the next update to the list. New numbers are added and expired ones are removed every three months. Even if you do not know when your current registration expires, Chalmers says there’s no harm in signing up again at any time.
This will be the first update with a new state law in effect that bars telemarketers from sending text messages to numbers on the list. Chalmers says it’s become a growing marketing tool for many businesses, and the agency has received many complaints already. She says they are often coming from consumers without a text messaging plan.
The new law is also expected the agency to more easily identify potential scams that are sent out using text messages. She says they hope to be able to track how often criminals are using texting to find potential victims.
AUDIO: Andrew Beckett reports (1:06)
