Senator Warner was joined by Senator Charles Schumer today to announce that the Federal Trade Commission has begun investigations into automated "robocalls” that offer bogus car warranties to millions of consumers on their cell phones and land lines. 

Both senators said they have received these calls in recent weeks on their own cell phones.  

The spam calls have targeted Americans randomly, even when they are listed on the federal “Do Not Call” registry.  

Here is what Senator Warner said at the news conference this morning: 

Here's how the scam works:  It begins when someone’s cell phone rings from an unrecognized number. The caller then turns out to be a computerized voice selling car warranties: "Out of warranty? You are still eligible to reactivate warranty coverage. This is the final call before we close the file.”

The recording typically gives the caller an option to stop receiving calls, usually saying "press two to be removed from the follow up list." However, the calls continue to come. The company making the calls has no idea what car a person is driving because the calls are randomly generated, so their contention that your warranty "is about to expire" is bogus.

Both Senators have spoken with Leibowitz and received assurances that the consumer-protection agency is investigating the companies behind the deceptive, aggravating calls.  At the Senators' urging, the FTC has placed this button on its homepage to allow consumers to lodge a formal complaint.

UPDATE: Senator Warner talked to WTOP Radio about the robocalls.  Here is the audio: