You may have seen this email that's been making the rounds for several years:

Cell Phone's - Reminder about deadline REMINDER ..10 days from today, all cell phone numbers are being released to telemarketing companies and you will start to receive sales calls. .....YOU WILL BE CHARGED FOR THESE CALLS To prevent this, call the following number from your cell phone: 888-382-1222 . It is the National DO NOT CALL list. It will only take a minute of your time. It blocks your number for five (5) years. You must call from the cell phone number you are wanting to have blocked. You cannot call from a different phone number. HELP OTHERS BY PASSING THIS ON TO ALL YOUR FRIENDS OR GO TO: http://www.donotcall.gov/

This is a hoax, but at least it's a hoax with good intentions.

As the Federal Trade Commission explains, there are no plans for cell phone numbers to be turned over to telemarketers. Having said that, there's nothing wrong with signing up for the national Do Not Call registry, which is run by the FTC.

FYI, we are trying for the umpteenth year in a row to allow you to register your cell phone number on Missouri's No Call list, which is enforced by our office. The legislature has yet to make that change, however.