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| How do you tell the real from the false? |
Below is an email that I recently received:
Subject: RE: Remember Cell Phones Go Public This Month Need to read to avoid calls
Good morning,
This is just a reminder in case you did not register your cell phone yet. It is very easy and really only takes 10 seconds.
Cindy U.
REMEMBER: Cell Phone Numbers Go Public this month.When I receive these mass emails, I always wonder if these are true or false. Over the last few months I have seen an email like this in my inbox a couple of times.
REMINDER..... all cell phone numbers are being released to telemarketing companies and you will start to receive sales calls.
.... YOU WILL BE CHARGED FOR THESE CALLS
To prevent this, call the following number from your cell phone: 888-382-1222. It is the National DO NOT CALL list It will only take a minute of your time. It blocks your number for five (5) years. You must call from the cell phone number you want to have blocked. You cannot call from a different phone number.
HELP OTHERS BY PASSING THIS ON .. It takes about 20 seconds.
https://www.donotcall.gov/default.aspx
Please forward to family and friends.
I proceeded to Google the phrase: Cell Phone Numbers Go Public this month.
This is what I found:
According to Urbanlegends.com, this email is a rumor that's been circulating since September of 2004 and they classified it as Mostly False. http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/business/a/cell_directory.htm
Also, according to http://www.compunoodle.com/are-cell-phones-going-public/, “…cell phone numbers are NOT going to be released to telemarketers. It didn’t happen in 2010 and it won’t happen in 2011 either.”
Snopes also states that registering a cell phone number with the Do Not Call website is unnecessary. http://www.snopes.com/politics/business/cell411.asp
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| Not necessary for Cell Phones |
I believe that the information on the above four sites are reputable enough to ruin the credibility of the "Cell Phones Going Public" emails. The best way to stomp out these "Remember Cell Phones Go Public This Month Need to read to avoid calls", emails is by kindly educating those who forward them. The senders need to realize their error and stop sending them. Please feel free to copy/paste this post link to your friends who send these emails to you to educate them so they stop forwarding them on to others.
I know most people who will read this will not spread this type of email and will just delete it. The problem is that these type of emails get spread by a very small percentage of internet users (I'm surmising, probably less then .5%,). All it takes is one person and this spread all over again.
I am doing this as a courtesy reminder for the small fraction of my blogging friends, my 400 Facebook friends and close to my 250 Linkedin contacts who would, on a whim, spread emails like this without first checking the validity. Do your part to avoid confusing others. Thank you.
