I found a new way to deal with spam calls

[RAB910]

I have decided to start playing a new game (when I have time). When I get spam callers, I tag in to talk to a live person. When I get a live person, the games begin. I try to see how long I can get the person on the other end to stay on the line while I play games with them. I pretend to be hard of hearing or have a weird accent or don't know what a credit card is and so on. Sometimes I piss them off, other times I confuse the hell out of them.

In the end, what I am doing is costing the scumbag phone spammers money as I waste the time of their employees


The funny thing is that the longer I play this game the fewer calls I am getting. Like I got myself on the real "do not call list"

[Doreen]

1. Thank you.

You are also keeping them from calling more of us.

[Ilsa]

2. I like telling male callers that I have bad cramps because

My period just started. Then they try to ask me to join AARP.

[yonder]

11. I think I'll try that. I'm a guy. Could be fun.

[Liberty Belle]

3. Here's how I handle them:

First time, hang up and don't waste my time.

If I get a recurrent spam call, I click to get a live person.

I then tell them I'm an investigative consumer affairs journalist and that I would like to ask them a few questions about how this scam works, and by the way how do I spell their name?

They hang up 100% of the time and usually never call back.

[2naSalit]

7. +1

[Big Blue Marble]

5. This works for me:

Turn off the ringer. Never know they called. Occasionally. they leave a message; I delete.
I have had a significant reduction in calls. And I spend almost no time dealing with them.

[hvn_nbr_2]

6. I sometimes do something similar, plus an idea I haven't actually tried...

I sometimes toy with them in similar ways.

For the ones pretending to be IRS or police, an idea I've had but haven't actually tried yet: After a brief time of toying with them, turn my head away from the phone and ask the air, "Do you have the trace yet, Sergeant?"

[2naSalit]

8. +1

[MurrayDelph]

9. I have CenturyLink

Their internet sucks (12-15MB), but their phone service has a "no solicitation" function. Numbers that are not on the whitelist first have to hear a recording that says we don't accept cold calls, but press 1 or stay on the line to be be put through.

Most give up. The downside is when we get automated reminders of doctors appointments, we usually only get the end of the message.

[Midnightwalk]

10. My son liked to play that game

Let me talk to your father

Why?

I want to talk to him

Who are you? He doesn’t want to talk to you.

He could keep them going for 5 minutes before they would hang up.

Hmmm. I wonder if I can set up my cell to automatically forward all calls from unknown callers to him. I’m guessing he might not find it as amusing.

[Fla Dem]

12. I've done that on occasion as well. First dozens times it's kind of fun,

but at least for me, got boring.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

13. Entertainment in the time of covid.

Our amusement level is so low.

I, for one, look forward to comparing companies and plans for my Medicare Part B supplemental insurance.

Selecting a company and plan for Part D is just too much excitement for one Bozo.

[SCantiGOP]

14. I just hit the button to disconnect as quickly as possible

But a few years ago, I did keep a GOP fundraiser on the line for about 10 minutes, giving him false info and finally agreeing to donate $2,000. When it came time for my credit card, I explained that there was a Court Order prohibiting me from handling any of my own finances, but if he would send me a letter I could steal some money out of my brother's wallet and send it to him.
He hung up without saying Goodbye.

[RAB910]

15. That is awesome! You took it to a whole new level

[mitch96]

16. I tell them I want to talk to them and can they hold for a minuet? I put the phone down

and walk away.. The best is when it's the callers wanting money for the Police associations. I tell them in my best southern accent that when they stop shooting black people I'll give them money. When they try to pivot away, I just keep saying the same thing. Over and over.
Great satisfaction and not many call backs... YMMV
m

[marked50]

17. I took the same approach a number of years ago but it turned out to be a mistake.

I would feign ignorance, use foreign languages, etc. This was in response to some spam caller(s) that called about the same time every now and then. It frequently resulted in some pretty foul language responses, which really was no big deal. But after about four or five of these exchanges they started calling every night , varying the times, just to insult and disrupt our lives. The numbers they used were always changing. I reported these calls to the Fed folks but this kept happening. In the end I just changed my phone number. A pain because of having to change this with friends and on-line sites.

[SeattleVet]

18. If I get a live caller and not a prerecorded robocall...

I turn on the scanner radio and answer with,"North precinct, fraud division" with police calls going on in the background.

Most of them can't hang up fast enough.

Once in a while I get an "Oh, shit!" or something like that, and almost never hear from that caller again.

[cwydro]

19. I don't answer calls that have a number I don't recognize.

Sorry, I can’t imagine spending time doing that.

[csziggy]

20. The Jolly Roger bot will do that for you!

https://jollyrogertelephone.com/

[sakabatou]

21. I almost never get spam calls

Any calls I get with a number I don't recognize, I don't answer. I look up the number and decide to block or not.

[pfitz59]

22. I just screen my calls. Don't answer the 'unknowns'.

If its important, they'll leave a message. If they don't leave a message I google the number. If it comes up 'spam' I block the number.

[zanana1]

23. If it's a live person...

I say "I don't speak English" and hang up.