In 1991 the United States Congress enacted a law intended to prevent businesses from (1) calling cellular telephone numbers (2) using an automatic dialing system (3) without the recipient’s express prior consent. The law is called the Telephone Consumer Protection Act and is often referred to as the TCPA. The Federal Communications Commission explains the law like this:
Has your evening quiet time or dinner been interrupted by a call from a telemarketer? If so, you’re not alone. Congress first passed the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) in 1991 in response to consumer concerns about the growing number of unsolicited telephone marketing calls to their homes and the increasing use of automated and prerecorded messages. In response, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted rules that require anyone making a telephone solicitation call to your home to provide his or her name, the name of the person or entity on whose behalf the call is being made, and a telephone number or address at which that person or entity can be contacted. The original rules also prohibit telephone solicitation calls to your home before 8 am or after 9 pm, and require telemarketers to comply with any do-not-call request you make directly to the caller during a solicitation call.
http://www.fcc.gov/guides/unwanted-telephone-marketing-calls
Consumers may file lawsuits for violations of the TCPA to prevent improper calls and to recover actual damages or statutory damages of $500, or both.
In addition to cell phones, the law applies to unwanted text messages and unwanted faxes. If you believe that you received improper calls in violation of the law, we would be happy to talk to you about it.