In an ongoing effort to crack down on predatory debt relief companies, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has expanded the Telemarking Sales Rule provisions to restrict phone calls made to consumers who respond to advertisements from such companies, according to RBR.com.

Debt settlement companies often use the Internet, television and radio stations to advertise their services, which can often create more debt for credit card holders. When consumers call the toll-free number, they are often connected to a telemarketer who continues to push the sale, rather than an actual counselor.

According to the news source, the FTC wrote in documents pertaining to the new restrictions that "many [debt settlement] advertisements make specific claims that appeal to the target consumers - for example, claims that consumers will save 40 to 50 cents on each dollar of their credit card debts or will become debt-free. The advertisements typically then urge consumers to call a toll-free number for more information."

Including these return calls under the Telemarketing Sales Rule will force companies to make specific disclosures and disallow them to write misleading claims.

According to MSN Money, consumers who want to get out of credit card debt should be wary of any consolidation program that promises to get rid of all debt.