According to the Better Business Bureau, cell phones will not go public, no need to register on Do Not Call List
AMARILLO, TEXAS -- An e-mail that has been circulating for years is still going strong, according to the Better Business Bureau.
The e-mail provides false information about the cell phone industry allowing cell phone numbers to go public.
The e-mail states that as a reminder cell phone numbers are going public and you need to call a number to put your name and number on the national "Do Not Call" list. The number is factual -- it is a number to the Federal Trade Commission's Do Not Call list, but the statement about cell phone numbers going public is false.
"For many years this same e-mail has been circulating about getting your cell phone registered on the Do Not Call Registry because if you don't your cell phone numbers are going to be released to the public, and that is just not true. Sometimes those e-mails need to be deleted and do not need to be forwarded," said Janna Kiehl, CEO of the Amarillo Better Business Bureau.
Back in 2005 members of the cell phone industry did bring up the idea of a cell phone registry for those who really didn't use land lines any more, but nothing came to pass. This registry would have required cell phone customers to opt into the registry, unlike the white pages where you must opt out.
"There are e-mails out there that are a nuisance and they want people to continue to send those e-mails on to others. Many times e-mails out there just never die, and this is an example of one of those cases. It's just an urban legend or myth as we call them, and parts of it are true, parts of it aren't true, but when you put it all together in its entirety, that is not happening," said Kiehl.
"We know to date there isn't anything that is out there that is a registry in the cell phone industry. I mean the mainstream media would be talking about it if it was happening, and the cell phone industry would definitely be talking about it and they are just not going to put your phone numbers out there especially without your knowledge or your permission," said Kiehl.
The BBB advises people to just delete the e-mail and not forward it to anyone else.
