By: Roseville Police Department
 

Have you been bombarded with robocalls?

Not only are they annoying, but they’re often pushing scams.  You know the ones, like fake auto warranties and credit card debt relief programs.

Did you know you can help Roseville Police, other law enforcement agencies, and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) by taking action to stop them?

The FTC and its federal and state law enforcement partners recently announced Operation Stop Scam Calls, the latest joint effort in the fight against illegal robocalls. This operation’s goal is to stop multiple dishonest telemarketers, the companies that hire them, and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service providers that supply the technology for telemarketers to make millions of scammy robocalls.

Here's how you can help:

• Know your rights. A robocall trying to sell you something is illegal unless the company has your written permission to call you that way.
• Spot the scams that use illegal robocalls. Many illegal robocalls lead to scams. They might try to convince you the call is from the government, tech support, or your auto warranty company, but it’s not. It’s a scam.
• Hang up on phone scams. Some scammers will call you and say you won a prize but you have to pay to get it. (Don’t. It’s a scam.) Or the scammer may say that you’ll be arrested for money you owe and that you have to pay immediately. (That’s also a scam.) Hang up or delete the voicemail. Don’t press any number or call back.
• Report scams and illegal robocalls. Reporting helps law enforcement and investigators stop scams and illegal robocalls.
• If you are a victim of a scam, report it to your local police department.
• Report any attempted scams at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and report illegal robocalls at DoNotCall.gov.

For more advice on how to stop unwanted calls, check out ftc.gov/calls.