Being disturbed by unwanted calls from telemarketers can be annoying and make you wonder how they got your number in the first place. Telemarketers have access to many sources to obtain phone numbers for their call lists. Here are some of the most common ways telemarketers acquire your phone number.
Purchasing Lead Lists
One of the primary ways telemarketers get your number is by purchasing lead lists from data brokers. These lead lists contain personal information like names, phone numbers, and addresses that data brokers aggregate from various sources.
Data brokers collect consumer data from sources like:
- Public records
- Loyalty programs
- Warranties
- Surveys
- Contests
- Registrations
They compile this data into lead lists and sell it to businesses like telemarketers who want to reach specific demographics. For example, a telemarketer selling home security systems may purchase a lead list targeting homeowners over age 60. The more detailed the list, the more valuable it is.
Obtaining Business Records
Telemarketers can also acquire your number from business records and data partnerships. For instance:
- Hotels may provide guest contact details to telemarketers
- Retailers share customer purchase records
- Banks and lenders sell customer financial data
- Doctors and dentists provide patient contact info
Many businesses you interact with sell or share customer records with other companies, including telemarketers. The terms allowing them to do this are usually buried in fine print privacy policies that consumers rarely read in detail.
Harvesting Public Databases
Various public records and online databases containing names and contact information can be accessed by telemarketers searching for leads. These include:
- Phone books
- Voter registration lists
- Birth and marriage records
- Business directories
- Real estate listings
- Professional licenses
- Court and criminal records
Most of this data is available through public government databases or website directories. In some cases, telemarketers may need to pay a fee to access certain record systems but the cost is worth it for the large amount of data obtained.
Random Number Dialing
In the past, telemarketers commonly used auto-dialers to call random or sequential blocks of telephone numbers. This random number dialing helped them reach people whose numbers were unlisted. However, due to telemarketing abuse, the 2003 Do Not Call Registry was created to allow people to opt-out of these unsolicited calls.
While less prevalent today, some telemarketers still try random number dialing techniques within legal limits hoping to find new prospects. However, people can register their numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry to reduce these calls.
Telemarketing Leads from Other Marketers
Once a telemarketer has your number, they may share or sell their lead list to other marketers. This can result in even more telemarketing calls from new companies. Lead sharing among telemarketers is quite common to expand their prospect pools. Even if you ask one telemarketer to stop calling, another one may pick up your number and start the calls again.
Obtaining Your Number From You
Often the simplest way telemarketers get your number is when you directly provide it to them or their partners. Ways you may unintentionally give your number to telemarketers include:
- Entering contests, sweepstakes or giveaways
- Providing your number for memberships or discount clubs
- Filling out warranty or product registration forms
- Signing up for alerts, notifications and updates
- Submitting contact details on surveys and questionnaires
Read the fine print carefully when providing your number anywhere to avoid agreeing to receive sales calls. Also be cautious of contests or surveys offering big prizes which are really just harvesting data for telemarketers.
Social Networks and Online Postings
Telemarketers may be able to access your phone number through social networks or other online postings. For example:
- Facebook privacy settings may expose your number
- Dating site profiles list phone numbers
- Business directories like LinkedIn show contact info
- Classified ad listings include phone numbers
- Websites may be scraped to harvest posted numbers
Anywhere your phone number is visible online, telemarketers may be able to find and collect it. Be selective about where you post your number publicly online.
The Phone Number Recycling System
The phone number recycling system also plays a role in telemarketers calling you. When someone disconnects a phone number, that number goes back into the pool for reassignment after a period of inactivity. Telemarketers buy lead lists containing these disconnected numbers and still call them hoping the new person assigned will be a prospect.
So even if you are new to a phone number, the previous owner may have somehow landed it on telemarketing lists that continue to generate calls.
How to Reduce Telemarketer Calls
While you can never completely eliminate telemarketer calls, there are steps you can take to significantly reduce them:
- Register your number on the National Do Not Call Registry
- Screen unknown callers and ignore suspicious calls
- Use call blocking apps and services provided by carriers
- Ask specific telemarketers to put you on their internal do not call list
- Limit sharing of your number online and in public databases
- Reduce entries in contests, surveys and rebate offers requiring your number
Following these tips and being cautious when providing your number can help minimize unwanted telemarketing calls.
Conclusion
Telemarketers have access to an array of sources to obtain phone numbers for their unsolicited sales calls. By purchasing lead lists, obtaining business records, harvesting public data, random number dialing, number sharing and recyling, and collecting numbers online and directly from consumers, they are able to build large call lists. While you can’t stop all telemarketing calls, being aware of where they get your number can help take precautions. Signing up on the National Do Not Call Registry, limiting number sharing and using call blocking provides some protection against annoying telemarketer calls.