Illegal Telemarketing Calls on the Rise [AUDIO]

NEW JERSEY 101.5

Have you been getting a lot more calls from telemarketers recently even though you're on the 'Do Not Call' registry?

State Sen. Jeff Van Drew has been getting more calls and he's on the registry too because he sponsored the bill that created the 'Do Not Call' list in New Jersey. He now has new legislation to crack down on telemarketers who are ignoring the law.

"There are more and more telemarketers because quite frankly the law is not being enforced enough," said Van Drew. "We need a team of investigators within the given budget we have within the Division of Consumer Affairs, part of the (State) Attorney General's Office to be focused only on telemarketing calls that are being made fraudulently."

Under the bill, the director of the Division of Consumer Affairs would establish the unit, which would be responsible for investigating consumer complaints of:

• Unsolicited telemarketing sales calls from unregistered telemarketers
• Telemarketing calls made in violation of the division's no call list
• Telemarketing calls in which the telemarketer calling does not promptly identify the person on behalf of whom the call is made or the purpose of the call
• Telemarketing calls received between the hours of 9 p.m. and 8 a.m.
• Telemarketing calls made using caller identification blocking methods; telemarketing calls made to any commercial mobile services device
• Any other such consumer complaints related to telemarketing practices as determined by the director.

"Telemarketers are using third-party servers to mask their phone numbers or create fake numbers to show up on caller I.D.," explained Van Drew. "They know how to use technology better. They're getting around the law. We need more focus on it. Routinely telemarketers are breaking the law because they know the law will not be enforced."