Ineffective methods to stop scam/spam calls.

800notes is full of threads and individual posts either asking for the "best" way to stop the unwanted calls, or posting various opinions of  call blocking software or devices.   Consider this thread to be a partial collection of INEFFECTIVE methods, as posted by visitors who seem to dwell in an alternate reality, or may merely be ignorant of effective methods.  Add any "sightings" or ideas as you wish.

* Telling the caller to go [bleep] themselves.
* Blowing a horn, whistle or flatulent expression into the phone.
* Telling the caller you are tracing the call.
* Telling the caller you are on the Do Not Call list.
* Forwarding the call to a politician or a previous "scam caller".
* Insulting the caller's nationality.
* Changing one's phone number
* Terminating an otherwise useful landline.
* Believing the Federal Do Not Call list is a call blocker, or will stop calls from scammers.
* Pressing a key to be taken off the spammer's call list.
* Returning the call.
* Giving the phone to one's infant, so the infant can talk to "Santa Claus".
* Asking a spammer / scammer to stop calling.
* Threatening the caller with a law suit, even though you cannot identify the caller.
* Posting a vulgar report on 800notes
* Making a "stop calling me" post on 800notes.
* -- Even worse:  Making a "stop calling me" post on 800notes, and including your phone number!
* Wishing there were more laws against spam phone calls.
* Telling the spammer that the call is being recorded.

This list will probably not stop posters from repeating their silly solutions, but it might help a few of the more observant to recognize what NOT to do!  In fact, some of the more irritating, but false "solutions" may cause the scam organizations to add one's phone number to their "spoof this number" list, so the irritating person gets even more calls!

Some folks like to entertain themselves by carrying on a long and fruitless conversation with the scammer / spammer.  This may indeed be entertaining, and may prevent the spammer from making calls while on the line.  However, remember the spammer's retaliation might be putting one's number on the dreaded "spoof this phone number" list!  Be careful!

Thanks for the info, Slim.
In the beginning I wanted to challenge the callers because I was irritated and angry with these lowlifes.  Now I realize they do not care and they can exact revenge that would be punishing to me.  I try not to pick up calls but if it is in my area code it is hard since I have an adult autistic spectrum son out of the house.  The best way to deal with the scammer jammer is to avoid engagement.

Years and years ago before I became "smart"  I used to reply to spam e mail with all sorts of nasty words.  Well that didn't work out too well since then i got 20 times the spam I had before.  The same thing will happen with the scumbags calling us everyday.

Thank you for this sensible post.

Great  Stuff Here!   Thanks!

You said it all. I no longer answer any unrecognizable numbers (though today I took a chance even though it said New York State) and it was a do not call representative calling about a complaint I made back in March on a number that they are now going after. I unplugged my answering machine and honestly, do not have the time nor patience to deal with these scammers. I just block and ignore (though today my landline actually rang twice and it was real people, my car dealership asking about the work I had done this month and the do not call gal). Will wonders never cease?

Seriously, though, great post. I only hope that many will take your advice.

Got some for you Slim:
* Posting - Does anyone want to start a 'class action lawsuit' against these guys?
* Asking on page 126 - "Is this real"?
* Coming to 800 notes & confusing it with 'Ashley Madison'
* Believe that typing in all caps is an effective form of communication/asking someone else to handle it/or doing
  nothing is a viable solution to the problem, and you can't understand why it's still happening.
* Actually believe a cold caller will give you a loan/gift/prize/lottery/Government Grant.
* It's the Republicans fault.
* It's the Democrats fault.

The class action lawsuit was a pending reply that I received. It was rather lame since the person wanted to sue this site.

I don't think that works the same.  Email is a different medium than telephones.  To close a sale via Email, they just link to a site where everything is handled by a web server (little-to-no human intervention).  Telesales still requires talking to a human to close the deal.  This alone means it can't scale the same way email does. Demographics is still important (i.e. if you are a business loan or SEO company, you don't want to answer calls of non-business owners).  Email is cheaper to send than telemarketing, since there are still fixed costs into the telephony network and bandwidth issues over even basic 64kbps audio transmission.

As for getting more calls, my personal anecdote is I get called less (especially from the same entity, with the exception of 1 or 2 that don't get it).  I've never gotten "retaliation calls", mainly because I don't verbally abuse the agent, but just be innocently frustrating.  Google "Hello, This Is Lenny" for an example of a "robo-callee" that often irritates telemarketers (I think we need a lot more Lenny's as "honeypots").

Most agents have little to no control of the robocall/autodialer engine, so they really aren't in a position to hassle you, and there's just too many people screwing with him for him to try to hassle everyone back.  It's not like with E-mail where they can sign you up for lots of mailing lists or Ashley Madison or something.  Besides, if lots of people talked to the agent without make sales, the agent couldn't use their companies infrastructure since the company would go bankrupt.

Badge -

Good ones!
Yep - that is the stuff I was looking for.
Maybe, just maybe, a few of the gormless will visit this thread, and recognize what NOT to do!

Great post, Slim! Thanks for posting it.

Between you and Badge you've pretty much covered many of those ignorant sounding posts that we've all seen here.

Slim, Badge, Keep up on the good work. Some of the the comment made here remind me of the Scarecrow from the Wizzard of OZ song--If I only had a brain-- I'm amazed at how dumb some people really are at times, but you two are on my hero list along with a lot of others.

* Forwarding the call to a politician or a previous "scam caller".

Isn't it illegal to forward calls to someone who hasn't given permission for such forwarding?

"Most agents have little to no control of the robocall/autodialer engine ..."

Reminds me of that Johnny River song :
Telemarketing agent man
Telemarketing agent man
Calling to your number
And not giving out their name                           ( business name, that is, not their personal name)

Somehow i remember that song being a little different.  :-}