FTC Hangs Up on 'Rachel' Robocalls

Poor Rachel. The FTC is clamping down on five telemarketing firms it says placed illegal robocalls, often claiming to be from a woman named "Rachel" who had an "important message" about high interest rates on credit cards, reports the Chicago Tribune. Yesterday, a federal court ordered a temporary halt on the calls, which the FTC says violate consumer protection laws.

"Rachel from Cardholder Services is public enemy No. 1," declared FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz in a statement. Robocalls in general are such a big problem that last month, the FTC offered a $50,000 reward to anyone who could come up with a way to stop phone spam once and for all. (More telemarketing stories.)