Wasting their time keeps them from making more calls. It wastes your time too but if you’re bored...

I start out asking for their social security number. They get confused. I explain I’m just trying to help them. They say I’m a scammer. I ask why they called me if they don’t want my help. We goin a circle about who is scamming who until they curse at me and hang up.

I got the old toner scam call at work and set the hook by saying I had 200 printers and I’d love to save money. They asked for a machine serial number. I have them the HP code. They asked how much I was paying. I gave them a ridiculously low price which they promised they could beat by 20%. I asked how they fit twice as much toner in the same sized cartridge. We discussed viscosity. They kept asking for a serial number. I put them on hold. I picked back up every 5 minutes. After 20 minutes they hung up. The called every day and spent 20 minutes on hold every day for a week before they gave up.

I usually don’t answer any number I don’t recognize but sometimes I like to have a little fun.

The spoofers once called me from my own number. That was a trip.

 
When I still had a landline, I used, and was very pleased with, a Digitone call blocker. The one feature I like the most was the ability to use wildcards in the numbers to be blocked, the wildcard character being #. You can block an entire area code, for example 928-###-####, or an entire exchange, 928-231-####. You can use the wildcard anywhere in the blocked number, such as 928-231-###2 (silly example, I know, but to demonstrate the flexibility). Besides the use of wildcards, you can wholesale block "out of area", no caller id, blocked caller-id, etc. You can let the numbers that can ring through go through an outgoing message that requires user input (spammers typically won't go this far). Lots of flexibility in blocking.

Solution for the last 30 years... we never answer our phone unless near the caller I.D. and it shows someone we want to talk to.

I'm self employed and I do the same thing with both my work and cellphone... you want to talk to me you have to leave a message.

Use the app that blocks all calls not in your address book. Your recent calls will allow you to return any you missed that you wanted.

I talk to them about steak. How much I like it, cooking tips, etc.

Three Eagles Logistics, short and long haul freight , how may I direct your call?

I am getting scam calls and try to keep them on the line as long as possible.

There is some record being kept because now they disconnect me.

Social Security and Computer Scams keep hanging up as soon as I get someone live.

I figure the longer they are talking to me the more money the burn and someone else can't get scammed.

I always try to keep them in line for as long as possible. Wasting their time brings me joy.

I use lines from Full Metal Jacket

quote:

Originally posted by Krazeehorse:
Most of you have probably heard this one but is one of my favs.
https://youtu.be/aOvXxnSEQKY

THAT IS HILARIOUS..THANKS FOR THE LAUGH!

Ditch the land line. The TCPA effectively treats cell phone numbers differently from land lines. Getting rid of the land line will cut down on legitimate cold callers that are working within the law. Legitimate, but still annoying.

On your cell phone, have all unknown numbers (numbers not appearing in your phone book) go to voicemail. I don't know if Apple does this, but Pixel phones have the ability to have Google Assistant answer your calls and screen your calls on your behalf. The service will answer, ask the caller to state their business and wait, and Google Assistant will provide you an instant chat bubble with the transcription. You can decide to answer or send to voicemail after hearing their business.

My Google phone also does voicemail transcription, so it only takes a moment to look at a voicemail as opposed to trying to listen to the message. 9 times out of 10, the robocallers don't even leave a message.