Just got a call from Vegas, unknown number but I answered anyways.  Dialouge went like this:

Me- "Hello?"
Caller- "Hi, is Mary there?"
Me- "No, sorry I think you have the wrong number"
Caller- "Sorry, well maybe you can help me anyways.  I'm calling because we're looking for sponsors to help raise money for...... *blah blah blah*...  Do you think you could help us out?
Me- "Sorry, I can't today, have a good one, bye."
Caller- "Well if I understand, you're... *I hang up*"

I thought I was talking to a real person up until the very last line, but I heard a slight "click" as soon as I started speaking that must have been the start of the recording.  Looking back on it, the caller was perfectly timed, well spoken, reassuring, and articulate; sounded like the voice of a perfect human.  There's no way it could have been a real person.  I know a lot of customer service centers use pretty sophisticated robo dialogues to help users navigate without "press one for accounting... Two for.."  but this was the first time I was cold called by one.

Beware Arfcom, the machines are rising.  Trade in your HP for AP before its too late.

I'd happily use some kind of audible hack (fax/modem style) that would fuck up robo callers servers that I could initiate when I realize it's a robo call.

Kind of like the original Captain Crunch hackers used to take over the phone company systems.

ETA maybe like a drop database command.

Just send them to Jolly Roger Telephone Company in the future. It is a robot that wastes the time of robocallers and telemarketers alike.

I got one like that the other day

There was a slight pause before the machines response, I hung up

Ask them what day yesterday was.  Always works.

If you don't know who it is, don't answer. If it's important, they'll leave a message.

If im not sure if a number I'll answer and immediately mute. Robo calls will disconnect after a few seconds and that is your best chance of getting off their call list. Only once did I hear "hello?"

My motto.

Or ask them if they are a robot.  If you ask, they have to tell you.

If it is the home phone I just don't answer period.  Anyone important that I actually want to talk to will call me on my cell.

Then why have a home phone?

Because it's bundled with my cable internet.

XKCD is fucking gold.

That will give the telemarketers just a few more seconds before I cuss them out!

welp, there goes the next several hours.

May the fleas of a thousand camels be upon them.

Aloha, Mark