Don't say Yes!

[question everything]

When scammers call and they know your name and they ask: is this Bob? Don't say yes. Ask who is calling, or something.

Apparently the scammers can capture your voice saying "yes" and then use it for identity theft.

Scary.

[unblock]

1. i just let it go to voicemail if i don't recognize the number

and usually it's obvious from the voicemail if the call is legit.
i just don't call back the spam/scam ones.

[In_The_Wind]

2. Better yet: Don't answer the call unless you know who is on the other end of the line.

Caller-id is a great tool!

[lunatica]

3. I've stopped answering the phone unless I know who it is

But sometimes I'll answer it but if they ask me if I am "me" I don't say yes. I either say "She's not here right now. Would you like to leave a message?", or I say "This is she."

[Wolf Frankula]

4. Again, The Fake Microsoft Tech Supporters Get

"Ruff, ruff, woof, ruff, woof, woof woof. Papa Slurpy's, Pizza For Dogs."

Wolf

[csziggy]

5. I go into my ultra formal mode - "Whom shall I say is calling?"

The American scammers get confused and the foreign scammers tend to hang up.

A couple of months ago I found my great aunt's whistle that she used when she was a phys ed instructor at Oberlin College. Now I'm keeping it next to the phone. The other day one of the Microsoft Security scammers called. My voice was a little hoarse and the guy apparently couldn't hear me very well so I went with that. I kept telling him he had to turn his volume up because I was talking as loud as I could and kept speaking softer. Then I blew the whistle into the handset. I heard a scream just as the phone cut off.