Telemarkers now call us from more 79,000 call centers nationwide. Because they spend more time at home, senior citizens are three times more likely to be solicited by them.

Jeanette Otis, a 70-year-old widow from Houston, gets about five unwanted calls a day. For her, the irritation begins ?when they start out their conversations with ?How are you today???

Rex Sebastian, 72, was so frustrated that he installed a device that can block at least some of the calls. ?When a computer-originated call comes in, it zaps it out,? he says.
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