Help Desk

An unsolicited phone number is a phone number that is linked to one of the following phone activities:

• Phone scams – These are calls from people you don’t know who are trying to steal your money.  They may know your name, and sound friendly or impersonate some government agency or business to pressure you into giving up personal information — like your credit card or Social Security number.  Examples include: identity theft, IRS scams, computer scams, etc.
  To learn more, please check these resources:
  - https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0076-phone-scams
  - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phone_fraud
  
  
• Robocalls – These are automated phone calls that play pre-recorded messages and usually prompt you to press a key to connect to a call center.  Robocalls is a technology that is being used by many businesses and individuals.   To learn more about robocalls, please refer to these resources:
  - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robocall
  - https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/features/feature-0025-robocalls
  
  
• Debt collectors – If you owe money to any institution, they may hire a  debt collection agency to collect this money from you.  There are many types of collection agencies. For additional information, please visit https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debt_collection
  
  
• Non-profit organizations (charities, politicians, surveys, etc).  Many of these entities are not affected by the "Do Not Call" program sponsored by the US government, therefore they do not get fines or penalties from the government (FTC) for calling consumers.  However, if you have not given them permission to call you, these calls are still 'unsolicited', and you have the right to block them, if desired.