zozee

Coopah, that's hilarious. Your dad was ornery, huh?

Back in the day before caller ID, and when junk calls were fairly rare, my mom almost answered the phone in the house. I still remember her retelling the conversation w/ a telemarketer:

Him: Is this so- and-so?
Her: Possibly.
Him: Is Mr. So-and-So there?
Her: Certainly.
Him: Then may I speak with him?
Her: He's busy.
Him: Is there a better time to call?
Her: Obviously.

Faintly Artistic

Only have a cell phone now, all junk calls get added to my contact list as ZJunk, ZZjunk, etc. Then those numbers are blocked. I use the Z's to keep them all together and at the bottom, so I don't have to scroll them to find a legit number. What really annoys me is the same call will come from a different number than the one you blocked. UGGH!

Might be fun to answer "do you want to go to jail?" with, "why, do you need someone to visit you there?"

grannie cheechee

I've had so many calls from the "virus" helpers. I sometimes keep them on the phone with stupid answers just to make them flustered. We get calls from extended car care (have new car), health alarms, and back or knee braces. With the alarm and brace people I ask how they got my name, and they tell me a friend gave them my name. I laugh and tell them it can't be my friend because I'm only 29.

romanojg

this has been happening for a while now. IRS says they'll never call you. The one that has been going around for a few months now and has tried to hack two of my accounts are hotels, thank goodness my creditors were smart enough to contact me before running anything thru. Somehow they got my number, because I have my card and tried to use room service and the card over the phone. I cancelled my cards and got new ones. I still get calls from the Marriott saying I won something that I had entered, never entered and had never been to any of the places that called. Someone called the other day and asked for someone I didn't know. They then asked if I was over 25, I told them considering they had to ask they didn't know me and the call was over, I then hung up. Someone is always trying to get rich on someone else's hard work. In my case, I don't have enough to make anyone rich but it doesn't stop them from trying. You have to pay attention, no matter how much money you have (or don't have) or what your credit it. My sister had really bad credit and can't get a loan for anything, someone used her first name and a different last name and got credit under her SS. That just makes no sense, my sister has no idea who that person is.

romanojg

You sound like me, this magazine co kept calling me and so finally one day I ordered a whole bunch of them, the girl was so excited. I then told her that I was filing bankruptcy and I could add her company to it and not pay for the mags. She started stammering and hung up, never did take my charge info and never called me back.

coopah

Zozee, my dad wasn't ornery, as much as he just loved a joke...and he could take it in return. He took great delight in those "wrong number" calls. :-)
One thing he would not like are scammers who are too lazy to work an honest job, but take advantage of those who do an honest day's work. It's just sad to hear all these stories.

PatPitter

Years ago (the 70's) before answering machines got popular my grandmother was getting calls in the middle of the night and only would heavy breathing. She had seen enough tv shows to know the police could set up recorders on phones. One night she answered and said "it's them, turn on that recorder". Never had a problem again!

NatalieF

Scammers are horrible. Can you imagine how much better our world would be if they just used that energy to do good?

Beware of giving them a hard time on the line. One elderly couple out here got swamped with calls after rebuffing them. The scammers spoofed their number when they made all of their next scam calls, so when everyone was returning the call, they would up calling this poor couple. http://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/n-b-coupl...mmer-1.3344115

It's sick.

We do the same as everyone here. If we don't recognize the number, we let the answering machine pick up. If it's important, they'll leave a message. It's just not worth it to answer at all.

With all of today's technology, you'd think the telephone companies could crack down on these people.

ptquilts

I recently moved to a new place and decided not to get a landline. I got a Tracfone with limited minutes and I only give the number out to a few people. So far, in a month, I have gotten calls from North and South Dakota ( I know no one there) and a few from the local area, must be people who knew the person who had this number before me.

I have joined the, "If I don't know who is calling, I don't pick up" club!! The phone is for MY convenience. Just the other night I was in the bath and thought, How nice not to worry about a phone call interrupting me.

oldpiglady

love this one. Great answer!