The State Comptroller's Office is looking into the State's Do Not Call Registry. The registry allows New Yorkers to register phone numbers like spam and robocalls so they do not receive unwanted calls.
In a recent audit, DiNapoli's office found complaints against the Do Not Call Registry are going unresolved. It found Do Not Call registry complaints by NYS residents have more than doubled since 2014. There were only two cases referred for enforcement action in 2016 and 2017.
"The Do Not Call Registry was created to help consumers avoid unwanted, nuisance calls from telemarketers, but the requests to investigate violations of the law are going unanswered," DiNapoli said.
New York's Do Not Call program has five staff including a clerk and an investigator devoted full time to Do Not Call. DiNapoli's office found the position responsible for taking complaints was vacant for more than 18 months.
Some Western New Yorkers we spoke to, like Pamela Miskey say they get calls sometimes every ten minutes.
The State Department that handles Do Not Call says,
"The issues brought up in the audit were addressed by the Division of Consumer Protection long before today's release. Protecting all New Yorkers is the Division's number one priority and we've already made improvements - including hiring a seasoned telemarketing professional to oversee Do Not Call investigations."
