Cracking down on nuisance calls

Nuisance calls are irritating. So irritating in fact that nearly 170,000 complaints were made to the regulator – the Information Commissioner’s Office – on this issue last year alone.

We’ve already made it easier for rogue companies to be fined by reducing the need for the regulator to prove that substantial damage and distress HAS BEEN caused by the calls. We’re also spending £1/2 million to provide call-blocking devices to vulnerable people.

But this phenomenon can be far worse than a nuisance. In some cases people are being bombarded with confusing or aggressive calls. Some are conned into handing over money and others feel forced to unplug their phone. This is maddening under the best OF circumstances, but the phone is some people’s only form of communication, so they can be left totally isolated, desperate and at risk.

This has to stop.

That’s why the Government is changing the law. Companies which make cold calls will have to show caller identification.

That means you can refuse to pick up a call. And if a company harasses you, you can take down their number and report them to the Information Commissioner’s Office. They can hit offenders with fines of up to £500,000.

You can also report offenders to Ofcom, who can impose fines of up to £2m.

Nuisance calls are a serious issue, which is why we have taken serious action.