Jay Thordarson gets telemarketing calls at home and on his cell phone from a company saying he's won thousands in free travel dollars.
All his numbers have been on the Do Not Call list from the beginning, but he's still getting calls.
The number that comes up on his phone is 403-939-0808. When you call the number back an automated message says the number is not in service.
It looks like an Alberta number from near Okatoks. But it isn't. It's coming from Mexico. It's called ‘Spoofing' -- and it's a crime.
"They don't care who they interrupt who they bother because they simply want you to fall for what they want to sell," Thordarson said.
There are pages of complaints on the Internet about the 403 number and it's not the only offer plaguing Canadians
Lynne Fancy of the CRTC says the agency has received over 200,000 telemarketing complaints in just over a year.
Fancy says when the CRTC investigates it hears the same excuses over and over from telemarketers breaking the rules.
"It wasn't me that was telemarketing; the rules don't apply to me. I bought a list from somebody so I should be okay."
The CRTC has issued fines as high as $21,000 against 22 violators.
To catch them, the CRTC needs you to get as much real information as possible, including:
Types of products they are trying to sell
Details about the sales pitch
Thirty per cent of the complaints deal with violators from outside Canada. Those are harder to investigate but they are still covered by Canadian law.
"It may be more complex but they are investigations we are pursuing," she said.
And that's just what Jay wanted to hear.
Follow this link for help to file a complaint
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Chris Olsen
