There could be up to 10 billion phone numbers in the U.S. today. And each day, it is estimated telemarketers make 148 million sales calls. In order to identify potential customers, telemarketers often purchase consumer profiles from merchants and other information brokers. In 2021, Americans lost nearly $60 million to telemarketing scams. The number of consumer complaints about unwanted telemarketing calls increased, from nearly four million in 2020 to over five million in 2021. Of those complaints, 68% concerned robocalls and 22% were about live telemarketing, an increase of 22% from 2020. Those over 60 years of age file almost half of all telemarketing fraud complaints.

Consumer advocates say older people are targeted because they are often at home and can easily be preyed upon by swindlers taking advantage of their isolation or loneliness. Telemarketing trade groups claim their industry creates millions of jobs and pumps more than $21 billion into our economy. Even so, at least 70% of Americans have added their telephone numbers to the FTC’s do-not-call registry which prohibits commercial telemarketers from calling residences on this list. Telemarketers claim the do-not-call list is unconstitutional because it limits speech based on its content and because it only bans marketing calls - not calls from politicians, charities and others.

Proposed Legislation: Reintroduction of H.R.982 - Seniors Fraud Prevention Act of 2021
Prospective Sponsor: Rep. Vern Buchanan (FL)

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