The “Revenge” Trap vs. The Silent Treatment: What’s the Best Way to Handle Cellphone Spam?
We recently heard from a reader, Kris, who sent us a link to a video making the rounds on social media. (THANKS, KRIS!) The video shows a clever “endless loop” bot designed to trick scammers. It sounds like a dream come true—an automated system that talks to telemarketers for you, wasting their time with a confused, chatty persona.
While these “revenge bots” (like the famous “Lenny” or the Jolly Roger Telephone Co.) are certainly entertaining, they aren’t the “magic wand” they appear to be. In fact, for most of us, they can actually make things worse.
Here is the reason why the best defense against spam isn’t a fancy program—it’s what we call “The Silent Treatment.”
The Problem with “Getting Even”. The goal of these “revenge” videos is to keep the scammer on the line so they can’t call someone else. It sounds great in theory, but here is the catch: Setting up these bots usually requires managing a complex VOIP (Internet phone) server. It is not a simple setting you can “turn on” in your phone.
When you answer a spam call—even if you use a funny bot—you are telling the scammer’s computer that your number belongs to a real, live human and that your number is active and working. This makes your number more valuable to them, and they will almost certainly sell it to other lists, leading to even more spam calls in the future.
The Best Defense
If you want to actually reduce the number of spam calls you get, follow these three simple rules:
1. Don’t Answer!
If you don’t recognize the number, let it go to voicemail. By not answering, your number eventually looks “dead” or inactive to the automated dialing systems. If the call is actually important, a real person will leave a message, and you can call them back at your convenience.
2. Use Your Carrier’s Free Shield
You don’t have to pay extra for protection. Major carriers (Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile) all offer free apps—like Call Filter or ActiveArmor—that identify “Scam Likely” calls before your phone even rings. Make sure you have yours turned on!
3. The “Contacts Only” Shortcut
This is the single best move for anyone who wants peace and quiet. Both iPhone and Android have a built-in feature called “Silence Unknown Callers” or “Blocked Numbers.” When turned on, any call from a number that isn’t in your contact list goes straight to voicemail without ringing. You’ll still see the notification later, but your dinner (or your nap!) won’t be interrupted. This is something I’ve used for years. You won’t miss any important calls; legitimate callers can still leave a message. So, if you turn this setting on, make sure you check your messages a couple of times every day.
Here’s the real deal
Don’t let the social media “clickbait” fool you. You don’t need a computer degree or a “revenge bot” to stop the spam calls. By practicing the Silent Treatment, you make yourself a boring target for scammers—and eventually, they’ll stop wasting their time on you.
Do you have a favorite way of dealing with pesky callers? Let us know!