<p>Unsolicited marketing calls originating from outside the United Kingdom (UK) made by or on behalf of UK companies are legally required not to call a number that is registered with the Telephone Preference Service (TPS), which is provided under the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR) 2003. Protection is also provided under the PECR if consumers have previously notified the caller that they do not wish to receive such calls and for automated recorded messages calls, which require prior consent. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) considers complaints and can issue a monetary penalty of up to £500,000. Calls made from abroad by overseas companies fall outside the jurisdiction of the UK.</p><p>Also, there are various steps that consumers can take to block nuisance calls from getting through to them. Most telecom service providers offer a range of services, usually for a small charge or for free, that can help to reduce the need to answer such calls. These include ‘Calling Line Identification Display’, ‘Anonymous Call Rejection’ and ‘Choose to Refuse’. BT’s ‘Choose to Refuse’ service allows consumers to block numbers by specifying numbers that they do not want to receive calls from. Also, ’Caller Display’ enables a consumer to choose to ignore calls including those that withhold their number and ‘Anonymous Call Rejection’ blocks incoming calls that withhold their number; although this may include some calls that consumers may want to receive. Additionally, telephone handsets and plug in devices are commercially available from the internet and high street shops that can help to block unwanted nuisance calls.</p>