Android

The issue is lots of countries (including America) let scammers spoof a real life number.

So you get a spam call from a random local number block it because it was spam, but the scammers just use another number and all you've done is block a random number that's owned by an actual individual or will be soon.

It's all based on laws from decades ago and not accounting for modern tech

This is a tactic that worked for me, but your mileage may vary. I used to get dozens of spam calls a day on both my work and personal numbers. I did all the things that you're supposed to do and they just kept coming. I also needed to answer unknown numbers on my work phone so I couldn't just block them.

So after a while, I started answering the calls and calling them back when I got silence. I made sure I could talk to a person/scammer as often as possible. In the beginning I would just ask them if they felt good about themselves trying to scam people out of their money. They would generally just hang up but one guy gave this long speech about how if you were that dumb you didn't deserve that much money and how he was living the American dream (although I did ask him if he was in American at which point he hung up on me). After that, I would just start trying to keep them on the phone as long as possible. My job is such that I can work and talk on the phone at the same time, so I made a word document that had a fake name, birth day, social security number, address, a fake person basically. Then I would put on my "old man" voice and just act stupid to keep them on the phone. I kept one guy on the phone for four hours as I pretended to be too inept to turn on my laptop to give him my IP address. He was quite upset when I told him I knew he was scamming me.

Anyway, I haven't gotten a scam call in like 6 months. I think scammers put me on their do not call list. Maybe worth a shot?

Since you have a Pixel maybe try changing the call screening settings?

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Yet Another Call Blocker

I've used it for years now. Very few calls make it through any more.

Use Carrion from F-Droid and make it your screening app. Numbers that call you have to go through a verification that is mandated in the US & Canada. Numbers that fail this handshake verification will be rejected.

I usually get around 1 spam call per day, but sometimes I can get as much as 12 per day. I legitimately wonder why I even have a phone plan at this point and I know I'm not the only one who has considered that.

If my phone rings, and I see an unknown number, I just decline. I'm at this level of trust.

This crap is the only reason I need AI. Unknown call? Take it, AI call screener with infinite patience. Why doesn't this exist?

Soo... One of you please make a soundboard app where at the push of a button I can send these telemarketer full on baby screaming sounds or play my own "response" to their ads.

A few years ago I felt the same way. I installed the Should I Answer? app and even limited calls to people in my contacts to get it under control.

I'm on a Pixel too. I'm in the USA and, at some point, Google got their act together on screening calls here. Most spam is rejected outright and the remaining ones get screened by the phone itself. I haven't had spam call in a couple of years now! And I don't have to use Should I Answer? anymore.

Save all known callers to your address book. Set "block calls from unknown numbers" in the android caller settings. Done.

Here's the voicemail log that I mentioned. It's just insane.

Totally anecdotal but if you have the number connected with social media like Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, etc if you delete your account or maybe even switch out to a different phone number, you will get less to no spam calls. I deleted my social media and after that I don't receive any calls. I only get calls that I'm supposed to get now.

Also, my phone number registered with bank and dmv is different so this might also be a contributing factor.

I dont know where you live but in Croatia (EU) there is a registar "Dont Call" that you can add your number to. They told me that phone service providers are sharing our numbers LOL unless you ask them not to. This registar should be level above providers so your number should be private no matter what. I was just going to apply to that

Could try my tactic

Change your phone number and give it to people only. Never businesses unless it's a trades service. Best buy and the lot get a dummy number. Good luck selling my information

Also online services get the dummy number.

Zero spam calls in two years

I have a policy - only those who should know my phone number is family and they are very strict about asking me before giving to anyone who asks. So, it's usually not given. Then for businesses and other places which require a phone number, I use a Google Voice number. From doctors, to banks, or other places. I rarely get the scam calls.

HOWEVER

I get around 6-15 SPAM text messages daily. All 100% Political for Trump, Biden, Harris, or whatever scammer tries to get me to support on my non-shared number. A lot try to guilt you into "donating" to them too! I feel bad because while I won't fall for it, I know many people already do. I have to use Google Messages to effectively block those automatically.

I have AT & T and complained to them about it to be told that I could change my number, but it would be $40.00 to do so. That's a big scam in itself and I refused.

There's an app called tasker that let's you set up some pretty deep automation on your phone. I've used this a set up a grey list on my phone.

If a call comes in from a saved contact, all is normal. If it's an unsaved number though, it doesn't ring and goes to voicemail as if I just didn't answer at all. If, however, they call back within two minutes, it will ring as per normal and I then know it's, likely, someone who actually needs me.

I set this up because my phone number gets passed around at work quite a bit. If someone really needs me, I always figure they'll call more than once or text after a missed call.

Check your app store, there are a lot of spam blocker apps that can help with this. Some of them may be included with your phone plan depending on the carrier!

If you have a pixel you can turn on call screening for unknown numbers. Ive been using it for a couple years now on my pixel and my phone hardly ever rings now, its fantastic

Phone > settings > call screen > automatically screen calls + maximum protection.

Put your phone on do not disturb for anyone not in your contacts. I almost never get spam calls anymore because my phone just sends them all straight to voicemail and they seem to have figured out that they'll never get through to a real person. It took a few months, and I still had to clear out quite a few voicemails in that time but I didn't get notifications about them so I could just clear them out at the end of the day.

An app on android called "should i answer" is good for blocking spam

If the pixel 5 supports it, absolutely turn on assistant call screening. If a number is slightly suspected of being a spam call, it will send it to Google assistant who asks them who they are and why they're calling. This filters nearly all spam calls in my experience, while not preventing you from getting legitimate calls.

Even better, after using it a while I no longer get many spam calls, maybe 1-2 a week that gets quietly handled in the background.