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Companies accused of disguising sales pitch as polls to get around 'Do Not Call' rules
Fox News.com ^ | May 15, 2012

Posted on 05/15/2012 3:53:38 PM PDT by Kaslin

Election season has apparently spawned a slick new way for telemarketers to get around the "Do Not Call" registry — hiding a timeshare sales pitch behind a phony political poll, say critics.

With telemarketers barred from robo-calling people on the "Do Not Call" registry, a new phone campaign called "Political Opinions of America" offers a three-question "poll," and then offers a reward that sounds suspiciously like a classic timeshare sales pitch. An automated voice asks the recipient to complete a quick survey with questions like: “What’s the most important thing to restore our economy?” Other questions include: “How would you rate the job that President Obama is doing?”

After answering, the user is transferred to a live operator from “corporate travel services” who is giving away free cruises thanks to an anonymous donor. The offer allows up to four free guests and requires a $60 per person “port fee” to be secured by a credit card.

Critics say it is a scam.

(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...


TOPICS: Front Page News; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2012; corruption; elections; fraud
I am on the No Call list for both my house phone and my cell phone. I have a voice caller ID for my house phone and If I do not recognize the number I will not answer, but I will do a Google search to find out who the caller is or where the call came from.

I have specific ring tones for my cell phone and if I get a call from a number I do not recognize, I do not answer either

1 posted on 05/15/2012 3:53:43 PM PDT by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin

I get more and more spam phone calls on my cell phone.

Like you, if I don’t recognize the number, I dump it to voicemail. None of them leave a message either.


2 posted on 05/15/2012 3:56:31 PM PDT by Steely Tom (If the Constitution can be a living document, I guess a corporation can be a person.)
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To: Kaslin

I got one of these calls last week. A computer voice said it was a political survey then said respondents would get a vacation or a cruise or something like that. That’s when I hung up.


3 posted on 05/15/2012 3:57:08 PM PDT by slumber1 (Don't taze me bro!)
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To: Steely Tom

I add them to my reject list


4 posted on 05/15/2012 3:59:27 PM PDT by Kaslin (Acronym for OBAMA: One Big Ass Mistake America)
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To: Kaslin
My reject list has about 25 numbers on it. I'm tired of having to scroll through

to get to the names in the My Contacts list that come after 'B'.

5 posted on 05/15/2012 4:08:46 PM PDT by Steely Tom (If the Constitution can be a living document, I guess a corporation can be a person.)
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To: Kaslin

The “Do Not Call” list is meaningless. Telemarketer scammers completely disregard it, and sometimes set up shops in places like the Seychelles Islands. One of the biggest offenders is Roy M. Cox, who runs that “Cardmember Services”.


6 posted on 05/15/2012 4:08:46 PM PDT by Fred Hayek (The Democratic Party is the operational wing of CPUSA.)
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To: slumber1

I don’t even answer


7 posted on 05/15/2012 4:12:20 PM PDT by Kaslin (Acronym for OBAMA: One Big Ass Mistake America)
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To: Kaslin

I average reporting about three a day:
https://complaints.donotcall.gov/complaint/complaintcheck.aspx?panel=2
Too bad they don’t have a bounty on them.


8 posted on 05/15/2012 4:14:32 PM PDT by Repeal The 17th (We have met the enemy and he is us.)
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To: Steely Tom

Why not rename them as Zblocked call 01
Etc? Not too many Zbevenov’s calling these days


9 posted on 05/15/2012 4:15:49 PM PDT by John Galt's cousin (Principled Conservatism NOW! * * * * * * * * * * Repeal the 17th Amendment!)
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To: Fred Hayek

Many times I see a message of missed calls on my cell phone and if it is a number I do not recognize, I do a Google search for it and then add it to my reject list in case they call again


10 posted on 05/15/2012 4:15:57 PM PDT by Kaslin (Acronym for OBAMA: One Big Ass Mistake America)
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To: Steely Tom

Why not rename them as “Zblocked call 01”
Etc?

Mika Zbevovski (sp?) Doesn’t call many FReepers these days


11 posted on 05/15/2012 4:18:09 PM PDT by John Galt's cousin (Principled Conservatism NOW! * * * * * * * * * * Repeal the 17th Amendment!)
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To: John Galt's cousin
Oh, you have really embarrassed me! In front of millions of people! Arggh!

Very good idea. Thank you. I can't believe I didn't think of it.

12 posted on 05/15/2012 5:28:56 PM PDT by Steely Tom (If the Constitution can be a living document, I guess a corporation can be a person.)
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To: Kaslin

Flood their phone lines


13 posted on 05/15/2012 5:33:39 PM PDT by SQUID
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To: Steely Tom

I’ve been getting 2 or 3 calls a day on my cell. The TN’s and area codes change about every 2 weeks.

Been going on for about 7 months. I never answer,they never leave a message.

I’ve had 2 today.


14 posted on 05/15/2012 5:41:00 PM PDT by Mears (Alcohol. Tobacco. Firearms. What's not to like?)
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To: Mears
I’ve been getting 2 or 3 calls a day on my cell. The TN’s and area codes change about every 2 weeks.

Been going on for about 7 months. I never answer,they never leave a message.

I’ve had 2 today.

Yup. Your problem is worse than mine though. It seems that more come on Friday than on other days, although they can come at any time.

I would like to be able to use a "whitelist" but my Android phone doesn't allow that. I can only "blacklist" them.

So, as has been mentioned above, I just dump anything I don't recognize. I do like the 'ZBlockCall01' idea of John Galt's cousin, however.

15 posted on 05/15/2012 5:57:17 PM PDT by Steely Tom (If the Constitution can be a living document, I guess a corporation can be a person.)
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To: Kaslin
Found a couple of sites that help ID and track these miscreants:

I also found the following land-line units - I got the Panasonic, and it's great for my needs.

Now - can someone explain WHY I still get "Out of Area" calls with no number, or calls with 1-000-000-0000 when my lines are set up to reject calls without Caller ID?

16 posted on 05/15/2012 7:49:21 PM PDT by brityank (The more I learn about the Constitution, the more I realise this Government is UNconstitutional !!)
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To: Repeal The 17th

>Too bad they don’t have a bounty on them.

Where’s the Saints defense when you NEED them???


17 posted on 05/16/2012 4:28:51 AM PDT by libdestroyer
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To: Steely Tom

LOL

You were just testing us to see if we were paying attention


18 posted on 05/16/2012 5:40:14 AM PDT by John Galt's cousin (Principled Conservatism NOW! * * * * * * * * * * Repeal the 17th Amendment!)
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