We would like to think that telemarketers cannot reach us on our cell phones. For one, it could cost us money, and for another, it seems like an even bigger intrusion when they call a phone we have with us at all times. What many have come to realize is that these calls are happening, but it might not be the fault of the telemarketers as much as it is the fault of new technology and new ways of handing phone numbers both landline and cellular. That doesn't mean they can call, and it does mean you have to do something if they do. These calls are largely illegal.

Each time you get a call from a telemarketer you should complain through the proper venues. Telemarketers are not allowed to call your cell phone via the use of an auto dialer. This is standard for the industry. Very few actually dial a number and wait for you to pick up. The automatic dialer dials many numbers at once, and then the person at the desk is connected with whomever answers first. It is entirely too costly to have telemarketers dialing each number manually, so almost none of them do it. That means a call to your cell is probably not legal.

What you may not realize is that though there are some that deliberately call your cell, most don't know that it is a cell number. As annoying as these calls are, there are times when these calls are mistakes. It can be hard to tell if a number is a cell or a landline, and if they don't find it on the Do Not Call List, they put it in their database. If they call once, ask them to remove your number and tell them they have reached a cell phone. Find out their company name if you can, and then report them if they do not comply and call you back.

For some, that seems like something that is just too nice. Telemarketers are a pain for many, but they wouldn't be in business if people weren't buying. Now that number porting is very common, numbers are misleading. Porting is the act of moving your number from one account to another so you can keep the same phone number. The numbers of those porting their home landline numbers to cell accounts are rising. If those numbers were not on the Do Not Call List as a landline, it won't be as a cell, and may even be pinned down as a legal call for them.

If you have ported your home landline to a cellular account, you should probably put your number on the Do Not Call List. Though many say that you can't, you can and it might be helpful. Once you are on the list, there are no loopholes through which they can climb. It is illegal for them to call that number no matter what type of line it might be. These calls can cost you money, and that means you have the right to stop them.

If you need to track down the owner of any phone number (like a telemarketer), you can try our U.S. phone number system breakdown below.