Expert: Ed Buckner - 1/28/2008

Question
Hello, we have received over 100 calls from the Church of Scientology over the past 3 months. Mostly from this telephone number, but there are others as well: 727-683-9114.

We have politely asked them to take us off their list, and we have screamed our heads off at them. They call almost every day, and always late on Sunday nights between 10 and 11 pm. They refuse to stop calling.

They claim they are trying to find someone who used to live at our address, but our telephone number is a new one so there is no legitimate reason for them to have and abuse our telephone number.

Is there any way we can press charges against them for interstate telephone harassment? We just want them to stop, and each time they say they will record the information to take us off their list, but then they call again within a day. We have spoken to the FBI, and they say as long as there is no personal threats made against us, they can do nothing.

There is also piles of junk mail that come from them to this address, and we can't make that stop either. They should be ashamed of themselves. We receive over 10 pounds per week of expensive glossy spam, in triplicate.

We'd appreciate any advice you can give on this matter.
Thank you!

Answer
Dear Catalina,

First, let me extend my sympathy. Any individual or organzation that persists in calling someone (or e-mailing or mailing) when the recipient doesn't welcome the message(s) is rude and inconsiderate--a spammer--whatever the legalities.

As to the more important question--what can you do about it?--I'm not, alas, an expert on that at all. I'd suggest, if you haven't already tried it, a call or e-mail message to the Federal Communications Commission--see http://www.fcc.gov/ --who have a button you can click to file complaints. Whether this is likely to be of much use, I honestly don't know. But if you do file a complaint, keep a record of what you said and when and, if you don't get any help from them, send a letter about it to the office of your U.S. Congressman.

The nearest ACLU *might* be able to provide additional advice.

The Council for Secular Humanism, www.secularhumanism.org, has had some experience with Scientology and *might* be able to offer advice or help--send an e-mail to their contact us e-mail address (Terry or Jim might be interested and able to help).

I sure wish you well--I'm frustrated that I don't really know much that would be likely to be helpful.

Regards,

Ed Buckner