Unwanted telemarketing calls can be a pain; between health insurance agents and a variety of other cold callers, it can feel like your phone is constantly being called. While enrolling in Cloaked's data removal service can make your information less visible online over time, therefore making it difficult for new spam callers to get your number, we also want to support you in reducing spam from telemarketing agents who already have your number in their own databases.

The most effective way to reduce telemarketing spam is by registering your phone number on the National Do Not Call Registry. This guide outlines the steps to register, check your registration status, report violators, and understand what to expect after signing up.

Check If Your Number Is Already Registered

If you aren't sure if you've registered before nor not, you can check if your phone number is already on the Do Not Call list by following these steps

1. Visit the official National Do Not Call Registry website at www.donotcall.gov. The page should look like this:
   
   

2. Click on "Verify Your Registration."
   
   

3. Enter your phone number(s) and email address. You can submit up to three phone numbers. If you would like, you can also submit a Cloaked email address here.
   
   
   You'll be given a chance to double check the information you provided before submitting.

4. Submit the request and check your email for a confirmation message indicating whether your number is already registered.
   
   Here is what the email would look like if your number is registered:
   
   
   
   And here is what it would look like if your number is not registered:
   
   

Register Your Phone Number

If your number is not already on the list, follow these steps:

1. Go to www.donotcall.gov.
   
   

2. Click on "Register Your Phone."
   
   
   
   You'll have to confirm again that you'll want to register your phone number.

3. Enter your phone number and a valid email address.
   
   

4. Confirm your registration by clicking the link sent to your email.
   
   
   
   This will bring you to a page that looks like this
   
   

5. Your number will be added to the registry within 24 hours, but it may take up to 31 days for telemarketers to stop calling.

Report Violators After 31 Days

While the Do Not Call list reduces legitimate telemarketing calls, some spam callers ignore the registry. If you continue to receive unwanted sales calls after the 31-day period, you can report them:

1. Go to www.donotcall.gov.
   
   

2. Click "Report Unwanted Calls."
   
   
   
   You will have to confirm again that you are reporting a spam caller.

3. Provide details such as the phone number, date, time of the call, and whether you spoke to a live person or received a robocall.
   
   

4. Submit the complaint for the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to review.

What to Expect After Registering

• Legitimate telemarketers should stop calling within 31 days.

• Some types of calls are still allowed, such as those from political organizations, charities, debt collectors, and survey companies.

• Scam and robocalls may persist, as many originate from overseas or use spoofed numbers to bypass regulations.

• Using call-blocking apps and features can further reduce spam calls beyond what the Do Not Call list provides.

Conclusion

Registering for the National Do Not Call list is a free and effective way to reduce unsolicited telemarketing calls, but it is not a foolproof solution against all spam calls. Regularly reporting violations and using additional call-filtering tools can help minimize unwanted calls even further.

By joining the Do Not Call Registry in conjunction with using Cloaked's Data Removal Program and Identity Generation Feature, you can over time drastically reduce the amount of unwanted contact you receive from unknown callers. Congratulations on taking another step towards securing your privacy!