Asklemmy

Nice to see the reddit attitude making it's way here. OP is downvoting all of the correct answers and the bad advice is getting upvoted.

To everyone reading this. If you don't want spam calls stop answering numbers you don't recognize. You should also go to your carrier and opt in to whatever spam blocking service they offer (should be free).

I would also advise as I did in another comment to keep your real number on GV or similar with decent spam protection/blocking and use a direct number you can burn if needed.

I pretend to be another call center. Or an IVR.

"Thank you for calling Punkadye Laboratories and Archives. My name is Terry. May I have your GSN number please?"

I don't know what a GSN number is; just something that I made up. Once in a while, I get an actual person, but I insist that I have "their latest GSN or a recent invoice," before I continue. I have "a call center voice," and can reasonably fake gender neutral.

Sometimes I answer, "Thank you for calling Punkadye Laboratories and Archives. Please listen closely, as our menu options recently changed. If you know the number of your party's extension, you may dial it at any time. If this is a billing question, please press 1. If this is technical support, please press 2."

Rarely does the call get past the press one part. Often this cuts the latest wave of calls quickly.

I just don't answer unless the number is in my contacts list. If it's important, they will leave a voicemail and I will call back. Spammers almost never leave a voicemail.

so, your mileage may vary but here's what I do:

• people I want to talk to are in my contacts list
• I ignore all other incoming calls
• voicemail is a filter. use it.

Pixel phone user, the built in spam blocker seems very reliable. When something goes through I use the call screening feature.

Imagine being unemployed and looking for work.

I have to answer every call.

Every call is spam. The number of calls I get has increased tenfold.

I'm certain that some of these jobs and recruitment sites aren't actually hiring for anything. They are just collecting and selling my data.

Pixel's all screening from Google has pretty much completely solved my spam call issue.

Set it up to screen every single call from anyone who is not in my contacts, And I haven't had to miss any important unexpected calls, or answer any spam calls, in months

Too bad you aren't running stock Android to get that spam blocking.

I like answering them and asking if their parents are proud of them.

I added the phone number disconnected sound effect to the beginning of my voicemail outgoing message, set my ringer to silent, and set a personalized ringtone to anyone I actually wanted to speak with. That worked okay to get me off most of the lists. When that wasn't enough to drive all of them away I started answering unknown numbers and fucking with the people on the other end, saying anything to string them along and waste their time with bullshit and lies. That actually worked better than anything else.

I have Call Screen on my Pixel 6a doing a lot of heavy lifting for me.

I really wish there was a non-Google version of it that everyone could download and use.

I never answer unless I recognize the caller. If it is important they can leave a voice mail.

On the plus side I no longer get the weekly call from the Chinese lady.

Yet Another Call Blocker is in F-Droid.

This is not advice.

I hated spam calls. Got them constantly.

I decided to just fuck with them mercilessly. I'd answer almost every time. Even if I had to drop whatever I was doing. My single overriding goal was to keep them on the line as long as possible and then, once discovered, piss them off as much as possible.

I've been doing this for years. No YouTube channel or anything. I didn't record the calls. Just a personal hobby of mine.

If I was at work, I'd try to keep them talking while I ignored them and kept working. If I wasn't busy, I'd interact more.

Initially, it seemed to cause a massive increase in spam calls. Like, it seemed fairly obvious to me that I was getting more calls because I was responding. Since I enjoyed fucking with them, I didn't mind getting them any more.

I always figured I was at least tying up one scammer for as long as possible.

After awhile all my calls were hangups. I'd answer, and then they would immediately disconnect. I know that happens sometimes because the robo caller calls multiple lines at once and drops all but the first one that answers, but it started happening every time for me.

A few months ago I read about some scam call networks getting busted. I wondered if it would have any effect.

Seems like it has. I don't even get one call or week anymore.

I use the app "should I answer" on Google play store. It worked pretty well for my partner who isn't really that smart with that kinda stuff and used to get lots of calls. But it helped her a bit mitigating it.

I have a Pixel 5a too and the call screening option is a godsend.

Note: this depends a lot on which governments you pay taxes to (country, state/province, city). With that in mind:

• Check if there's a "do not call" list where you live - i.e. a gov-enforced list of numbers that you are forbidden to call for advertisement. If there is one, put your number there.
• Do not answer spam calls at all. Usually it's easy to identify them, but there are some applications for this, like this (it's in F-Droid so likely available for CalyxOS). By simply not answering those calls, your number gets marked as "inactive" by the advertisers/spammers/telemarketers, so the frequency of the calls gets lower over time.
• Get a new phone number, redirect all legitimate contacts to your new number, and trash away the old one.

I kept my phone number from a different state so everyone that calls from that area code can be ignored. I also have AT&T's ActiveArmor app (free) and it blocks most of them. I used to get 2-4 a day but I'm down to 1ish a week now.

Answering vs not answering didn't really ever make a difference for me, but I've heard lots of things like don't answer and they'll think the line isn't real or answer but play the do Do DO sound effect or answer but leave it silent. Not sure if any will help.

If you ran standard OS, your phone would handle it for you. It's my favourite thing about my pixel.

So I guess my suggestion is to revert back to the standard pixel OS.

This is entirely the responsibility of your phone provider. They should be blocking those numbers.

Call them, tell them you have a csv with the list of spam numbers for them to block. (CSVs are very easily imported) Tell them if they don't add them to their blocklist you will change phone provider because it is unbearable and you are not receiving a good service.

Phone companies are (often legally) obliged to block illegitimate usage and always have it in their terms and conditions.

If you're in the US isn't there that law that allows you to request to be put on the black list? And if anybody ignores this list you can receive damages.

Pick up the phone, say nothing and mute it. Unless you have a good reason to answer it, leave it be. Hang up after 30 seconds of they dont. The more sophisticated spammers will write you off as an automated system.

If it's a human who should reach you, they'll assume it was a bad connection and say hello after 10 seconds or so.

I had a similar attack of spam calls for a while. It started the moment I answered one call and continued for months. Simply not answering was not enough. Blocking specific numbers does not help either because they change every time. I then blocked all calls not in my address book for a few weeks and that helped. I could then disable the block again and for a year only got an occasional call here and there but could ignore it based on the area code. Now it finally seems quiet.

I’m on an iPhone. Could not find any other way that would help me block spam calls that is not expensive and/or privacy invasive. So blocking everything is the only option.

Airplane mode or MySudo