Thank you, FTC!

As of September 1, you should have been getting fewer robocalls. The FTC outlawed those annoyances from the nether regions. Those making robocalls will need your written permission to call you. Of course, the lawbreakers will continue to operate -- when they give you false information and no callback numbers, what can you do? Those that are caught, though, will face fines of up to $16,000 per call. I'd answer one of the calls just to see them pay that.

And there is one thing you can do when you receive those calls. Go to www.ftc.gov and file a complaint online. You may not have much information, but there is a box for you to fill in comments. I give them the details I've been able to glean from the telemarketer there. It takes only a few minutes, and the more complaints they receive, the more likely they are to act.

"FTC to ban many telemarketing 'robocalls.'" The Dallas Morning News; August 28, 2009; p. 12A.