The Do Not Call Registry is a list of phone numbers that many telemarketers will not be allowed to call. You can add your phone number to the list over the Internet or over the phone. The office of Attorney General Lisa Madigan will enforce the rules of the Do Not Call Registry to make sure that businesses follow the law and consumers do not become victims of fraud.

This service is free to consumers. However, telemarketers will be required to pay for access to the names on the lists and will have to "scrub" their calling lists every three months to remove any consumers' telephone numbers that are included in the new registry.

It is important to know that the Do Not Call Registry will reduce telemarketing calls - but not eliminate them completely. Under federal and state law, a number of businesses or organizations will still be allowed to call numbers on the registry, including:

• calls from organizations with which you have established a business relationship;

• calls for which you have given prior written consent;

• calls which are not commercial or do not include unsolicited advertisements;

• calls by or on behalf of tax-exempt non-profit organizations.

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