Marketing goods or services to potential customers over the telephone is called telemarketing.

When you pick up the phone and hear a recorded message instead of a live person, that’s a robocall. Increasingly, telemarketing is being done with intrusive robocalls. Under Michigan law, a robocall is simply a telephone call with a recorded message, in whole or in part.

You receive a robocall: 

• You are on the National Do Not Call registry.
• The caller does not provide their full name, who they are calling for, or a phone number that if called will be answered by a live operator; or
• The number on the Caller ID is fake, misleading or inaccurate.

You receive a robocall from a person or business:

• Whom you have given prior permission to contact you;
• Whom you are already a customer;
• Who requests a face-to-face meeting to sell you something;
• That is requesting money for a charitable organization;
• That is requesting money for public safety organizations (e.g., police and firefighter union); or
• That is a political party, politician, or political action committee (PAC).

Scammers aren't concerned with whether or not you're on the Do Not Call registry. That's why your best defense against these calls is to block unwanted calls. The call-blocking option you choose will depend on whether you’re getting calls on a cell phone, traditional landline, or home phone that makes calls over the internet (VoIP).

You can also check with your phone carrier to see what they offer. Also check out the reviews for the different call-blocking apps available in the app stores.

Learn More About Blocking Unwanted Calls