Do you answer "restricted," or "unknown" phone calls?

Not usually. Unless I am expecting a call.

Nope. I don’t want to be bothered. If the message ind8cates I need to, I will.

No. I’m always afraid it’s going to be spam and then they’ll call me back repeatedly. I figure if it’s important, they’ll leave a voicemail. If I get a call and there’s no voicemail, and it’s from a weird number, I’ll then block the number.

I do not. I figure they will leave a message if it is real.

I never do. If they leave a message that is legit, I’ll call them back.

Usually not. We rarely get phone calls outside the occasional contractor or whatever so it doesn’t happen too often.

Never

I let my answering machine answer all calls, unless the caller ID ID’s them as someone I know and would talk to.

NEVER!!! All my friends know how I think on this matter & they know I’m NOT going to answer IF it’s an unknown number so they leave a message & I call them back. Before automatically blocking any number, I do an internet search to see IF it’s a known scammer. My phone company also provides an app that warns me of known scam numbers. I have the option to add scammers to the list on the app so others within the same network are warned in advance that it’s a possible SCAM!!!

I’m very diligent to add any numbers to my contact list so I know when it’s a friendly call!!!

Heck no. I don’t even answer calls from people I do know , unless it’s my wife and daughter.

No, but I make a note of the number and google it online, usually its already reported as spam or Political call.

No. What they said.

Yes. Why not?

@Zaku: Because they could be spam and then once you answer, they’ll keep calling you back.

IF it’s SPAM, they’re going to keep calling you back anyway. That’s why I block them…They can work as hard as they feel the need & I don’t have to hear my phone ring!!!

Yeah, I never answer any unrecognized numbers and I’m constantly getting calls for car warranties or the like. I’ve been getting a bunch lately from a local eye doctor’s office that I need to pick up my glasses or the other eye doctor’s office that my son’s glasses are ready for pickup. In both these cases, the number associated with the call was a legitimate local phone number that corresponded with the actual name of the business. I eventually blocked them. Never did learn what scam was associated with that one

Also, @Zaku, they could engage you in conversation and then take a recording of your words (for example, when you say the word “yes”) and use it to accept collect calls in your name and things like that. If you google it, you’ll find that what I am telling you is legit and does occur.

@jca2 That doesn’t strike me as a good reason to never answer my phone.

On my phone, over 95% of the calls I get have a number showing, and/or caller ID. Most of the calls I get, which isn’t that many, are people who are actually calling for me. A significant number are unsolicited, though a fair number of those are volunteers for organizations I actually do want to talk to.

Of the spammers who call, they almost never say “restricted” or “unknown” – those almost always list a fake number and/or fake caller ID. I often answer them anyway, because I am not afraid, and am sometimes amused.

Almost always when I get a “restricted” or “unknown” call, it’s someone I know who is blocking their caller ID.

@Zaku: I didn’t say I never answer my phone nor would I suggest that to you. I said I never answer my phone if I don’t know the caller. If I recognize the number but it’s not a saved number, for example if I recognize it to be my daughter’s school, I’ll answer it even if it’s not saved in my phone, because I know it’s legit. When I was working, if I saw a call from a recognizeable exchange, meaning I knew it was from a work number, I’d answer it. Before I started this policy, I’d answer and get calls about my car’s warranty or would I vote for a politician or some other thing. Waste of my time and I don’t want my voice used for nefarious purposes, so I stopped.

If I don’t know the number, if it’s really genuine, they can leave a voicemail and I’ll call them back.

If you answer the call, spammers will share the number with others and you’ll receive more spam calls.

If you have had good lulck with answering your phone to unknown numbers, that’s great. I don’t do it and a lot of people (as shown above) also don’t do it.

@Zaku Are using your cell or a landline or VOIP? I’m using my cell with the setting to not accept a call unless the number is shown. So them blocking the info means the call won’t come through to begin with. When I receive a call from someone I usually want to talk to, I add their number to my contact list along with their name. That way every time they call, I know exactly who it is. If it’s somebody I don’t want to speak with I add ZZ before their name as a way to know to not answer the phone. If they’re not in my addressbook, that means we’ve not kept in touch and there’s a good chance that they are SPAMMERS not worthy of my time and I let it go to voicemail.

I do not.

@SEKA No, I use a cell phone these days.

If I didn’t answer unknown numbers, I’d be missing calls from people I know or do want to talk to.

I didn’t answer a call today. They left a voice mail. It was a $93,000 voice mail.

No. I can relay their message back to them anyway. “Hi, this is Sam on a recorded line. Do you have Medicare? Do you want to renew your extended car warranty?” And this after saying hello five times and getting dead air.

The cell phone feature I use least is the telephone itself. I use a free call screening app that routes all numbers not in my contact list to voice mail and blocks confirmed spam and calls with no caller ID. Any unrecognized numbers that slip through the screener are ignored.