Inspired by "I lost big money?" How do you get handle junk phone calls?

[anniemae]

I am the type of person who HAS to answer a ringing phone. I always think it could be important. I almost ignored an unknown number once and it was my dr.'s office with test results. Glad I picked up. Another time an unknown number was my kids dentist, the receptionist called from her cell phone for some reason.

Scammers are now using local numbers. It's strange, it comes up with a local area code. Grrrrr..

What I REALLY hate are the robots. You pick up and they say, "Hi, can you hear me?" and it's clearly a robot. You feel like such a fool talking to a robot. At that point, I hang up.

 

[apirateslifeforme]

We either don't answer at all, or we pick it up and hang up so it doesn't trigger the answering machine.

One day last week, we got 13 calls from the same 2 numbers within 24 hours. My mother said we should hand the phone to our 2 1/2-year-old who suddenly has learned how to very clearly say "9-1-1, what's your emergency?"

 

[Praying Colonel]

SIL introduced me to an app called Hiya which advises of suspected spoof/spam/sales calls. You can set the app to send those to voicemail automatically or just advise you & you make the choice on whether to answer. (I never do.) It works well for me.

 

[GreatLakes]

I usually don't answer but if I do as soon as I hear it is any kind of sales call I just hang up without saying anything.

 

[PanamaMike]

Caller:"Hi, this is ..... from ..... May I speak to Mr or Mrs ........

Me:"OMG!!! We won the trip to Hawaii??? This is AMAZING! Honey, get the kids. We won the trip to Hawaii!!!"

Caller: "What?"

Me: "The last time you guys called me, I entered your contest for a trip to Hawaii and was told I'd only be called again if I won. This is so incredible. When do we get to go? I'd love to go as soon as possible"

It's usually about this point that the caller gets flustered/agitated and hangs up.

 

[aprilgail]

I have a home phone number but it goes directly to voicemail, does not even ring in my house- if they want to leave a message then I get an email saying I have a message and can listen to it on my computer, otherwise I have no idea what kind of sales calls I get since they don't leave a message. Anyone that really needs to get a hold of me calls my cell number.
at work the WORST one is all these recordings telling us to update our google listing- they are SO annoying!!

 

[Cubbiecakes]

I don't pick up the phone if I don't recognize who is calling.

I don't answer, and if they don't leave a message, I block the number.

If you’re not in my address book, I’m not taking your call.

Also, my generic ringer is silent - only people in my address book get a ringer that makes noise. So there’s little chance of me picking the phone up anyway.

Phones are like front doors, just because I have one doesn’t mean you get to use it to talk to me. My property, my rules.

 

[tvguy]

If you’re not in my address book, I’m not taking your call.

Also, my generic ringer is silent - only people in my address book get a ringer that makes noise. So there’s little chance of me picking the phone up anyway.

Phones are like front doors, just because I have one doesn’t mean you get to use it to talk to me. My property, my rules.

Most folks whose calls I want to take have blocked numbers, so that wouldn't work for me.

 

[runwad]

We use nomorobo on our home phone and it hardly rings. If an unknown spammer gets thru I jump on the nomorobo site and block the number.

 

[Mizzoufan]

Hang up before they can leave a message. I hate listening to their annoying messages

 

[because]

First, I try to not answer calls I don't recognize. If I am waiting for a call from a doc or someone and it turns out to be a scammer, I hang up since 99% are now robots.

And I always only say "Hello" once. A human who is sitting on their phone calling me will hear that. Most Call Centers forward the call after 2 hellos. So, Hello and when no one answers, you say Hello? again. That triggers the call center to put the robot or the call center person through. If no one says anything after 1 hello, immediate hang up.

 

[Bianca and Bernard]

My cell says "scam likely" on these kind of calls. I used to not answer, but I'm bored just sitting at home, and if I'm messing with them, they aren't calling you. I don't get charged minutes, and while I'm on, I'm reporting their phone number and scam info online.

I have some fun with the Microsoft ones. I have had a computer, not had a computer, had an Apple (yeah, that one was really fun!), was IT for a big corporation (which computer out of the 200? oh, all of them?), "followed along" (not really, just let them think that), played stupid (what's a computer)...

The "you've won" calls are always interesting. How can I win if I didn't enter? Oh, I must have dropped my business card (nonexistant)?? Signed up for something online (not a chance)??? Oh, how exciting! I get an all expenses paid trip to Fiji? Plane fare included. What's the weather like in Fiji? Do I have to wear a bikini on the beach, because if I do, I have to get my tummy tucked first. Is that an included expense? What? Why not, it's all expenses, and that's an expense. Food and drinks are included? Nice. What about hotel? But is it a 5 star resort, because I ONLY stay at 5 star resorts. Oh, it's an all inclusive 5 star resort on the beach in Fiji. Excellent. Do they come and turn down the beds before bedtime, because...well, you get the idea.

Once, we had a persistant scammer calling the house phone, years ago. I put on an "adult video" on the computer and sat the phone next to it, and left. I wonder how long that scammer sat listening to the secretary get "scolded" by her boss...

 

[Sabeking]

My DH wears these poor people out. He loves to answer. We had one caller trying to sell us extra coverage on our vehicles. My DH told them he NEEDED extra coverage on a Pinto that had 500 thousand miles on it. He told them my daughter commuted from North Carolina to California every week. He said the car is currently on blocks in our garage but he needed every bit of coverage we could get. He would not let the guy off the phone. It was hysterical!

 

[RangerPooh]

If I don't know the number I don't answer. Numbers that I have checked online and found to be a solicitor/scammer I block in my phone.

 

[eileenjez]

I don't answer either Lately we've been getting calls from "Out of Area" unavailable. 0 as the number. Nope, not picking up that one either.

 

[disneychrista]

Lately the biggest offender is the bot that prompts us to update our Google listing.

Does anyone actually believe that Google will call them to update their listing. We get this call several times a week.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

I don't answer the phone anymore. I used to goof around with them and drive them nuts but now I don't want to waste my time. When he's not home, I unplug the phone and any important calls can go to Google Voice. All others don't bother to leave a message.

My husband is home now full time and he answers the phone and when it's a sales call he harasses them. I've asked him to quit answering the phone but he seems unable to let a phone just ring.

Sometimes I unplug the phone even when he's home and he hasn't even noticed.

 

[ksjayhawks]

I don't answer calls from numbers without a name. If a message is left and it is from someone I know, a doctor office, etc, I add them to my contacts.
I use HIYA and that catches 99% of all calls that are spam or suspicious. The ones it doesn't with no message left, I run thru HIYA and act accordingly.

 

[manning]

I also use the Hiya app to screen calls. The app will tell you if its a reported telemarketer.

Like others, I'v gotten calls with the same prefix as my own number and block most of those. Some guy called my number back and yelled at me for calling him. I said, 'No sir, wasn't me, was a spam call.' And hung up.

And if any calls sneak through I hang up and block the numbers.

Go you one better. One time I called myself. At least that's what the display said. I didn't answer. Afraid I would get confused talking to myself.

 

[Shanti]

I try not to answer numbers I don't know on my cell phone, but sometimes they sneak through anyway. I used to sometimes try to wait until they finished their first sentence to say, "No thank you," and then hang up. However, I find they have become more rude and aggressive and don't ever break. So I just hang up when I hear the delay(pause) at the start of the call. I didn't ask to speak to them, so I don't care that I am hanging up on them!

Agreed. They never stop talking now. Even the real people act like robots. You can tell they're just logging in their minutes at work.