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NEW YORK [CBS] — Sen. Charles Schumer is asking for an investigation into the scam phone calls pitching bogus car warranties that many Americans receive several times a day.

He says the scam artists are using random call generators allowing them to call people who are on the “do not call” list.

Sen. Schumer Asks For Probe Into Cell-Phone Scam

NEW YORK [CBS] — Sen. Charles Schumer is asking for an investigation into the scam phone calls pitching bogus car warranties that many Americans receive several times a day.

He says the scam artists are using random call generators allowing them to call people who are on the “do not call” list.

The calls feature a recorded voice saying that the warranty on your vehicle “is about to expire” — whether you own a vehicle or not.

Schumer said Sunday that he received one of the calls on his cell phone last week. He is asking the Federal Trade Commission to investigate the calls.

Alison Southwick of the Better Business Bureau says that her agency received more than 140,000 complaints about car warranty calls in 2008.

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5 Comments

  • Mendy Hecht

    I had one of these calls about two weeks ago. There was a number that came up on the caller ID. After the call, I reported the number on DoNotCall.gov (which everyone should have their numbers on in the first place).

    But anways, my point here is that when I called back the number on the caller ID, I got a message saying that the company that had called me had in turn gotten my number through something that I had once signed up for (without specifying what).

    So while they may be using random number generators, I think they’re also using front companies to legally get around the Do Not Call law by having the calls patched through these companies. In other words, they call the company and the company calls you–so technically, it’s not “them” calling you, it’s a conference call from a third party. Very clever. They need to update the law to outlaw this trick.

  • call me not

    FROM SOMEONE WHO GETS THESE CAR WARRANTY PHONE CALLS 10 X WEEKLY:
    I made many many complaints online to the FCC about this. I get many many pre-recorded phone messages on my home phone (which is on the do not call list)about car warrenties. When I press 1 to speak to someone, then i ask who are you, or take my name off your list –They hang up on me real fast.
    I filled out the complaint form about questions regarding the call etc. What time the call was made to me and from what number etc.
    The only response I got from the FCC was,”AFTER REVIEWING YOUR COMPLAINT, WE HAVE DETERMINED THAT UNFORTUNATELY THE FACTS PRESENTED IN THIS CASE DO NOT INDICATE A VIOLATION OF THE COMMUNICATION ACT OF 1934, AS AMENDED OR THE FCC’S RULES ON WHICH WE CAN TAKE ENFORCEMENT ACTION.

    basically nothing was done and i am still getting called!

  • Abba

    Just don’t answer the phone. Leave then and yourself alone. It will do you good.