"Hey, quick question — are you still looking for working capital?"
That's call number nine today, and it isn't lunch yet. The caller ID looked local. Yesterday it looked like a bank. The day before it was a block of numbers that all rang within twenty minutes. If you took one merchant cash advance, you already know the feeling. Your phone became a lead list.
This is Part 1 of Stop the Calls, a running series on how business owners push MCA broker spam back — with a script, a log, and the rights that actually apply. We already covered why the wave starts after funding: your UCC filing is public and gets sold as leads. Today is the first tool you can use the next time you pick up.
General information, not legal advice.
What you're seeing on the line
Owners drowning in these calls usually describe the same pattern:
- A "local" number that matches your area code, then a different one an hour later
- A brand-sounding name on caller ID that has nothing to do with the person who starts pitching
- A run of numbers that feel like they came off one dialer, not one person with a Rolodex
None of that is a reason to stay on the line and argue. The move is short, dated, and boring.
The script
Say this, word for word, then hang up:
"Put this number on your company's internal do-not-call list. Don't call, text, or email me again, and don't share my number with partners. What's your company's legal name and a callback number?"
Then write down four things: the date, the time, the number that showed on caller ID, and whatever name they gave you. That takes about 22 seconds. It turns an annoyance into a record.
If they refuse to give a company name, write "refused" and hang up anyway. You asked. The date still matters.
Why the script is built that way
- Asking a specific company to stop matters. The FTC's Do Not Call guidance says that even a company you've done business with has to stop calling if you ask, and it tells you to write down the date you asked. That guidance is written for consumer lines, and business lines get less protection — which is why the written record matters.
- The National Do Not Call Registry only covers personal numbers. The FTC is blunt: business phone numbers and fax lines are not covered. If brokers are hitting your personal cell, register it free at DoNotCall.gov. If they're hitting the shop line, the company-specific request above is your main day-one tool.
- Robocalls and robotexts need consent. FCC rules say a caller needs your consent before an autodialed or prerecorded call or text to your wireless number, and you can opt out in any reasonable manner, even if you consented before.
- The log is your record. The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (47 U.S.C. § 227) limits certain calls, but whether it covers yours depends on the type of call and the type of line. A dated log is what you'll want to have if you ever report the calls or ask a lawyer about them.
For the bigger map of rights and limits, see Know Your Rights and They called 9 times after you said stop. Now what?
This week
- Save the script as a text shortcut on your phone.
- Turn on call screening or call labeling for unknown numbers (your carrier's tools, or the phone's built-in screener). The FTC points people to call-blocking and call-labeling options for a reason.
- Start a call log on call one, not call fourteen. Free call log template (CSV)
- Register your personal cell at DoNotCall.gov if it isn't already.
- When a shop keeps dialing after you asked them to stop, send a dated written stop request. Use our free cease-and-desist letter.
Next part: the written stop request, and why sending one from your own email beats arguing on the phone.