No rush to register cell phone number

(WTNH) - If you've seen a story in the news or received an e-mail alerting you to a deadline to register your cell phone number to prevent it from getting into the hands of telemarketers, don't worry about it.

According to the e-mails, which have received additional publicity from other Connecticut media outlets, cell phone users have to submit their number to the national Do Not Call database, and if the don't, they could be charged for calls they receive from telemarketers.

Back in January of 2009, Consumer Reports posted an article saying "there's currently another uptick in e-mails warning that America’s cell-phone numbers are about to be posted in a national 411 directory for use by telemarketers... This is false."

The Federal Trade Commission says on its web site "You may have received an email telling you that your cell phone is about to be assaulted by telemarketing calls as a result of a new cell phone number database; however, that is not the case."

According to the Federal Communications Commission, you can add your cell number to the Do Not Call list, but it's not necessary. "Rest assured that placing telemarketing calls to wireless phones is -- and always has been -- illegal in most cases," the FCC said in October of 2008.

The FCC also says "there is no deadline for registering a number on the national Do-Not-Call list."

According to the urban legends debunking site Snopes.com, similar e-mails have been going around since 2004.