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The Federal Trade Commission is warning consumers on the tactics of unscrupulous telemarketers and scam artists. It manages the National Do Not Call Registry, a giant database of nearly 210 million phone numbers that are legally off-limits to most telemarketers.

However, there is still plenty of confusion about the Do Not Call Registry and how it applies to landlines and how it applies to cellphones.

It has been a popular misperception for years that cellphones were treated as a separate entity with a totally different Do Not Call registry.

Some scammers have even picked up on the idea to trick information out of consumers. The scammers call from the number 1-503-457-1102, claim to be from the "automated Do Not Call Registry" and ask victims to enter their 10-digit phone number.

The message originates from Oregon, and people who have responded say they were later contacted by telemarketers promoting suspicious lines of credit.

There are two important things to remember. First, cellphones have been off limits to auto-dialed messages for years. Also, the Do Not Call list is administered by federal officials, and they do not make unsolicited calls.

Wireless phone subscribers have always been able to add their personal wireless phone numbers to the National Do Not Call list, just as people can add their landlines.

To register on the official National Do Not Call Registry, call toll-free to 1-888-382-1222 from the phone number you wish to register, or register the number at donotcall.gov.

Another misconception to dispel is there is no deadline to register and the number stays on the list until it is canceled.