I guess we'll table this for now.

cos had asked me to provide updates on that annoying telemarketer situation. When I called the FTC back a week later with my reference number, the person I spoke to (different one) told me that they didn't pursue individual cases (which I knew), and that therefore they wouldn't have sought the trace information. (That doesn't follow: A class action suit could benefit from that trace.) She didn't think they even had the authority to request it, since they weren't a "law enforcement agency". (I would guess that Verizon would gladly hand over trace information for an FTC investigation.) I got a very clear, "I can't help you because I'm not interested in helping you" message. In all respects, this was the opposite of the response I got the first time.

I would try going back to my (likely hopeless) plan of sending the complaint to the state Attorney General, but I'm somewhat disinclined to throw any more energy at getting useless bureaucrats* to do the job of the useless police, to track down worthless scamming scumbags.

* (who do succeed in getting in my way, which is what bureaucrats are for, so maybe they're not completely useless)

...

(Reminder to self and other forgetful people: Strike begins tonight at 8:00 Eastern time.)