Will you pick up the phone if the number looks like yours? Telemarketers bet on it.

Chicago Tribune ^ | 08/07/2017 | Audrey Gorden

[Mr. Jeeves]

On iPhone, turn on Do Not Disturb and only allow calls from your contacts. Android has a similar capability.

When Publisher's Clearing House calls at random to tell you you have won $10 million dollars, you are probably out of luck. To me, silence is worth the risk of missing out. :)

[John W]

Been happening around here for awhile. Just don’t pick up, anyone legit will leave a voicemail.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Had it about a year and a half on our landline and it’s half full already.

I have a VOIP line I use to call them back when they don’t leave a message. If they answer as an obvious telemarketer or the number is not in service they get blocked.

[samantha]

If the person talks to me I start using every filthy disgusting verbiage I can,and when you hear them suck in their breath you know they crapped themselves. I then tell them never call me again and as I hang up I question their parentage. There are shyster lawyers that can get you thousands of dollars to tamp them down forever.

[Rusty0604]

Happens to me. I answered ONCE.

[Fred Hayek]

I live in Texas, but my mobile number is still a Minnesota area code. Now any time I see an incoming call from Minnesota, I automatically assume it’s a scammer.

[Cementjungle]

I have fun when the GOP or RNC calls looking for money. I tell them that if/when they actually start supporting our president instead of fighting him, I'll consider donating again. Until then, I'll just donate to Trump directly.

They never have a clue how to argue against that, so they just say "thank you for your support" and hang up.

[Rusty0604]

I get so many calls from my area code, which is in CA, yet I’ve been living in TX for five years. I don’t answer.

[BlueLancer]

"I live in Texas, but my mobile number is still a Minnesota area code. Now any time I see an incoming call from Minnesota, I automatically assume it’s a scammer."

I also live in Texas and, when I purchased a new cellphone, asked for a new number. My new mobile number is a New Mexico area code...Roswell, to be exact.

Any time I see an incoming call from that area code, I automatically assume that it's an alien ...

[Uncle Miltie]

I pickup the phone and remain silent. Telemarketers don’t know what to do.

[IronJack]

I’ve had this happen. It takes me a second longer to hang up on them, but hang up I do.

[IYAS9YAS]

If I do, the best trick I have found is to say with my best DJ voice, “Hello, you’re on the air!” At least half of them hang up immediately, thinking they have called a radio station or talk show.

FBI Fraud Investigation Division, how may I direct your call?

[Grampa Dave]

We are getting several of these per day, with the same area code and at least 2 if not 3 of the first three digits.

We cut our cable and went from Comcast to Comcast Business, and they don’t allow/permit no more robo calls.

[eyedigress]

I’ve had people call me and ask why I am calling them.

I explain “spoofing” to them.

These people that do this need to be punched in the face until they can no longer use a phone.

[Grampa Dave]

“since they apparently are doing NOTHING to prevent this abuse - I hold the telecommunications companies EQUALLY at fault as co-conspirators.”

They are selling our numbers to the bastards or the bastards are using their service.

[Fred Hayek]

You may choose to blast them with hip hop, I’d rather drown them in sludgy Norwegian black metal.

[eyedigress]

I like that one. I may start using it.

I think I may tone it down though.

AT&T fraud hotline, please hold.

[normbal]

Fun, isn’t it? I do that too.

Call it antisocial, but if your NAME doesn’t show up, I don’t pick up. If you don’t leave a message, I don’t call back.

Telemarketers can GFTS. If you’re SELLING, I’m not buying. If I’m BUYING, I might call you.

No apologies.

PS: and on the rare occasions I DO pick up the phone, the first word I say is “NO” in case this is some kind of scam to put my voice in your ‘puter as consent for whatever.

[crz]

Yup..have been having that happen to me. Its a call from a outfit that claims to be reps of a hotel chain I have stayed at. They want to sell me on a ocean cruise.

[Qiviut]

Earlier today, I just blocked on (our landline) our area code/first 3 numbers of our exchange using a call blocker because since early July, we started getting these calls - no name shows up, just the state so it looks like a cell call. No message is ever left. It started with a call a week and has increased to pretty much a call a day - last 4 numbers are all different, no repeat numbers. At some point in the past (year or so ago), we also got a call from our very own number, including the caller ID name .... that’s another trick they use. That specific number has been blocked - since we don’t call ourselves from our own number, blocking it is no problem.

Same situation is occurring on my cell phone - lots of calls from the same area code/exchange - numbers are unknown to me and leave no messages.