I’m sure everyone can recall a time when you were just about to eat dinner or were just settling down to watch TV or read a book, and the phone rang. Usually it is not a big deal if it is a friend or neighbor—someone you know—who perhaps has a quick question to ask. But if instead the call is an automated voice or a telemarketer trying to sell you something, it can be a major annoyance.

To avoid being disturbed by such phone calls, many Ohioans have opted to add their names to a “Do Not Call” registry. In fact, the number of Ohioans on this list is at its highest point ever, according to Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine. Unfortunately, some companies and telemarketers violate these requests and dial those phone numbers anyway. I have worked with the attorney general’s office to help bring this issue to the public’s attention.

Last month, Mr. DeWine reminded Ohioans to sign up for the Do Not Call Registry and to report violations to his office. Along with the uptick in Ohioans requesting to be left alone, DeWine indicated that “scam calls that violate do-not-call regulations also have increased, becoming a major problem and annoyance.”

He recommends Ohioans do not respond to these calls and that they hang up and instead report the calls to authorities. As many have experienced, simply signing up for the registry does not guarantee that people will not receive robocalls from some companies. That is why it is important that citizens report such actions when they occur.

There are some useful ways to avoid the hassle of robocalls. For instance, do not respond to calls asking you to press a number for a list of options. Additionally, do not trust that caller ID is always telling the truth because many scam artists utilize technology that allows them to give the appearance of a call coming from a nearby location, such as a bank.

I wanted to pass along this information in case anyone in the district did not see the attorney general’s statement. I encourage you to join the effort to punish people who abuse our privacy and, in some instances, wish to do us harm.

To sign up for the Do Not Call Registry, please visit www.DoNotCall.gov or call (888) 382-1222. Finally, when reporting calls, try to provide as much information as possible, for it will assist the attorney general’s office to track down the caller. Try to keep track of the phone number, time and date of the call and the content of the call.