>> The only dramatic rise is in bogus calls from telemarketers DESPITE my being on the Do Not Call list.  <<

That may be true.
Y'see, the DNC list does not block bogus or illegitimate telemarketers (AKA "criminals")  from calling.

This post has two parts.  The =second= is for people who are interested in the realities of the Do Not Call list.  The =first= is for people who have difficulty understanding long explanations, but think the DNC list does not work.

1)
The DNC list is not a magic switch attached to your phone line, that will block calls.

The DNC list is intended to help stop calls originating from legitimate telemarketers.
* Your calls were not from legitimate telemarketers.
* Therefore, the DNC list will not stop those calls.

2)
The DNC list does not automatically block calls.  Instead, it provides a list of  "do not call" phone numbers to legitimate, registered telemarketers who pay a fee for the list.

The DNC list exempts political callers, survey organizations,  charities, and companies with preexisting business relationships, as well as debt collectors, but these organizations might have their own, internal Do Not Call list (ask them).

The DNC list is not effective against criminals, spammers and scammers, because those people do not subscribe to the DNC list, and do not care if you are on or off that list.
Its purpose is to stop calls from legitimate telemarketers, and it does a pretty good job at that.  Just think ... if there were no DNC, you would be receiving incessant calls from BOTH legitimate and scam telemarketing callers!

Here is your reading assignment:
https://www.donotcall.gov/
http://www.ftc.gov/news-events/media-resource ... try/enforcement
http://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases ... lemarketers-pay

Remember, the FCC's Do Not Call site is a good one to report unwanted calls from LEGITIMATE telemarketers.   To report spammers and scammers, visit the FTC site, at https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/

If you receive calls even after reporting them (and waiting a sufficient time), then you should consider using a call blocker app, device or service as your first line of defense.  Google "call blocker" to see such things at Amazon or other sites.
_/

Government DOES do something. Get on the Do Not Call registry. From their website: "the Commission has brought 105 enforcement actions against companies and telemarketers for Do Not Call, abandoned call, robocall and Registry violations. The Mortgage Investors litigation produced the largest settlement for Do Not Call violations, resulting in civil penalty payments of $7.5 million. To date, 80 of these FTC enforcement actions have been resolved, and in those cases the agency has recovered over $41 million in civil penalties and $33 million in redress or disgorgement."

Now we need to do something about telemarketers who can generate bogus Caller ID numbers ...

Until then, if it bothers you enough, schedule a "free appointment" in order to get their real contact info.

I never got all these calls into I put my # on the do not call list!  So what does that tell you?

Didn't get them "until" I put the # in...

It tells me you have been visiting lots of
* social media sites
* porn sites
* maybe coupon sites

and, have mentioned your name and phone number in several other web areas.

Y'see, the scammers harvest information from those sites, and the DNC list is not intended to stop calls from scammers / criminals.