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Cold calling is banned but your phone still rings? Here are the numbers to block

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The Editor

The Phone Call (2013)

Since August 11th, telemarketing calls have been banned in France without your prior consent. And yet, your phone has never rung so much. Legal exceptions, scammers who couldn't care less about the rules, companies still catching up: we explain why it keeps happening. And most importantly, which numbers to watch out for so you never pick up for nothing again.

It's 1:58 PM, you're finally digging into your brunch and your phone buzzes. Unknown number. You pick up, and a little voice offers you "a free audit of your energy consumption". The new law was supposed to put an end to these kinds of calls. But there's a trick to spot them before you even answer. 


Numbers to block without mercy

Since 2023, Arcep, the telecom watchdog, requires telemarketers to call from very specific numbers. In the Île-de-France region, be wary of 01 62 and 01 63. Elsewhere in mainland France, watch out for 02 70, 02 71, 03 77, 03 78, 04 24, 04 25, 05 68 and 05 69, plus 09 48 and 09 49, which are valid everywhere. In overseas territories, it's 09475 to 09479.

Numbers 06 and 07, on the other hand, are reserved for real humans: your mom, your friends—the people who actually matter to you.

fr/paris/news/metro-appli-stations-propices-crush/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">your crush, your friend who's <« be there in two minutes ». A phone number trying to sell you solar panels is therefore illegal. The right reflex: your smartphone or an anti-spam app can block an entire range of numbers.

No means no

Since August 11th, a company must get your permission before calling you to sell you anything. That pre-checked box hidden on page 14 of the terms and conditions doesn't count. The company must be able to prove your consent and keep that proof for three years. By the way, RIP Bloctel, shut down the same day.


But then, why are we still getting calls?

First, because the law allows exceptions. A company you have a contract with can offer you an option related to that contract. Press subscription sales remain allowed, and non-commercial calls aren't affected. Then there are the scammers, who respect the rules about as much as anything else. Even when playing by the rules, telemarketers can only call Monday through Friday, from 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 8pm, a maximum of four times in 30 days. And they must stop if you ask them to.


How to fight back

A company calls you without your permission? Head to SignalConso, the DGCCRF platform, or the CNIL. A suspicious number? Don't call back : report it to 33700. The law isn't a miracle worker, but the balance has shifted. You no longer have to hide—it's up to them to ask permission!