Cell phones now protected by Do Not Call list

INDIANAPOLIS | Attorney General Greg Zoeller on Monday announced a new law allowing Hoosiers to register cell phone numbers on the state's Do Not Call list has taken effect.

House Enrolled Act 1273 clarifies current state law by extending the protections of Indiana's telephone privacy laws to include cell phone numbers, prepaid wireless calling and internet–enabled VOIP services, according to a news release.

The Do Not Call list is updated four times a year. Phone numbers placed on the list by 10:59 p.m. Tuesday region time will begin receiving benefits of the law starting July 1. Out-of-state area codes can also be registered as long as the billing address is located in Indiana.

Zoeller said this is particularly relevant for out–of–state college students studying in Indiana.

"Thousands of students come to Indiana to attend college every year and only have a cell phone," Zoeller said in a statement. "As long as their bills come to an Indiana mailing address, they can add their number to the list. This will reduce the number of unwanted marketing calls as well as text–based solicitations."

Currently more than 1.8 million phone numbers are registered on the Do Not Call list. Registering on the list also helps to the attorney general's office investigate and prosecute those telemarketers who violate the law and scammers looking to defraud consumers over the phone.

Hoosiers can sign up or confirm a phone number is registered by visiting the Attorney General's website at www.IndianaConsumer.com or by calling (888) 834–9969. A phone number will never fall off the list or expire, according to the news release.