50 Absolutely Brilliant Replies People Had For Scammers

If you’ve noticed an increase in the amount of spam calls and text messages you receive, you’re not going crazy. According to a recent report, spam robocalls have hit a six-year high, despite the fact that American lawmakers vowed to crack down on phone companies that allow these obnoxious phone calls.

PIRG reports that this year, there have been an average of 2.56 billion robocalls every single month. In 2024, there were only 2.14 billion each month, so we can only assume that that number will continue to increase. Meanwhile, less than half of the phone companies in the United States have installed the necessary software to prevent robocalls and implemented policies to combat these frustrating phone calls.     

At the moment, one third of Americans are bombarded with at least one scam call a day, and the other two thirds receive at least one per week. Many also complain that scam texts have become increasingly pervasive. Plus, with AI advancements, it can be difficult to distinguish whether you’re chatting with a real person or a bot.

Unfortunately, the more challenging it is to detect when a call is spam, the more likely people are to fall for whatever scam is being sold to them. The Federal Trade Commission reported that the amount of money Americans lost to scam phone calls increased by 16% from the first half of 2024 to the first half of this year. 

Your first impulse when you receive a spam call or text is probably to ignore it. But when you’re on your tenth call of the week, you might be tempted to actually engage with the scammer. Answering the phone and screaming expletives might make you feel like a weight has been lifted off your shoulders, but the United States Senate Federal Credit Union warns that this might not always be a good idea. Apparently, striking up a seemingly innocuous conversation is a tactic commonly used by scammers, and they’re secretly hoping that you’ll take the bait. 

Responding to scammers might also put some of your information at risk, without you even realizing. First, you’re confirming that your number is active. And if you reveal your name, they’ll have a much easier time contacting you through other networks or finding information about you online. It’s best not to engage at all, so they won’t have anything to go off of. 

Meanwhile, it’s a good idea to report and block suspicious messages and phone numbers. And while this might sound obvious, don’t click on any strange links. We all know that we should avoid links that appear in our inboxes, but the same rule should apply to your Facebook messages, text messages, Instagram DMs and more. Just avoid any link that you weren’t expecting, even if it supposedly came from someone you know!

To stay safe from scammers, remember that if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Don’t trust any offer that sounds like an easy way to make some quick cash. On the flip side, if someone is desperately asking you to deposit money to their account, do not engage with them. It’s common for scammers to claim that a family member is experiencing an emergency that only money can save them from. Never trust claims like this that you hear over the phone.