When my daughters were young, under the age of 5, I would tell the person who called that they were speaking to the wrong person and hand the phone over to one of the girls.

In the UK I get a lot of random calls where they start by saying that they have on their records that 'You have been involved in an accident that wasn't your fault.' These are 'ambulance chasing' law firms that are just calling anyone at random in the hope of convincing them to sue for whiplash etc. Now I just come back at them with a sob story about the car accident I had had that had left my wife dead and myself wheel chair bound. They don't know what to say then and hang up without saying anything. Such fun!

I fuck with them so hard. When my baby's were little I used to give them the phone. That was a blast.

I don't usually answer numbers I don't recognize.

most of them are just recordings but if i am lucky enough to get a live person, usually trying to buy my time share or insure my car, i mess with them. i pretend i think they're going to give me a time share or a car. (as it happens i own neither item.) sometimes it's someone pretending to be from windows, and i ask them what kind of computer i have. sometimes they give up and sometimes they persist.

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Unfortunately, I am in a situation where I need to answer the phone. More often than not, I hang up. But, I have been known to give them an earful. My preference is, when I have time, to have fun with them, get information and, if they claim to be FBI or IRS, report them. The latter tend to use active phone numbers.

One time, I got a call about a warrant from the “local sheriff’s office.” I told them, “Come on. I’ve got a gun, it’s loaded and I’m waiting for them.”

Another time, it was a computer scammer... kept them on the line claiming they broke my computer. Took them 5 minutes to realize I was scamming them.

Another memorable call was from a credit card company... my opening line once I had a real personn was “Oh, thank God. I’ve got $40,000 in debt I need to ....” They suddenly hung up. Never did figure out why.

Basically, if I can waste their time, that gives them less time to scam someone who might fall for their crap.

Don't answer. Block.

The Grandpa and Grandma scams come around every so many months,the "Actors"are getting quite creative having several players in on the call to be more believable,they "Mine" the information about grand kids, places they live,and schools attended,and then call the victims,saying about a horrible accident involving "Jimmy",or "Susie" and how pregnant with twins mother was hit and possible court actions and yadda,yadda,yadda....

You never get to talk to real peopel anymore, and you cant' have fun when it is just a robo-call. So, I usually jsut don't answer. If I do answer one, then I hand up and block the number (put it on the auto reject list).

Unless I know or recognize the number,I seldom respond.Too many fake IRS calls, saying the Police are coming to arrest me for not paying my taxes.

My critical thinking experience as a skeptic comes in handy. I start asking questions that I know they usually are unprepared to answer, and listen to them “paint themselves into a corner.” I’m entitled to free money from “the government?” So, is it a grant? “Umm.” Which government department is running this program? “You know, THE GOVERNMENT!” Click.

It's really a sign of the times that I (of all people) don't answer anymore. I used to jump when the phone rings, chatty extrovert that I am...