How I Outsmarted Relentless Spam Callers with One Simple Lie (and Why You Should Too)
If you’ve ever picked up your ringing phone only to be met with a robotic voice promising free cruises or a “friendly” representative asking for someone you’ve never met, you know the pain of spam calls. For u/Cathene70 on Reddit, this wasn’t just an occasional annoyance—it was a daily siege. But with a dash of creativity and just the right amount of petty revenge, they turned the tables on their digital tormentors.
Imagine living under constant assault from unknown numbers, to the point where you dread your own ringtone. That’s exactly what our hero endured for five grueling months. Tired of living in fear of every buzz and beep, they cooked up a delightfully devious plan that’s as simple as it is effective. Spoiler: It involves a fib, a smirk, and a refreshing absence of spam.
When Your Ringtone Sounds Like a Siren of Doom
Let’s set the scene. You’re waiting for an important call about a new job, but your phone keeps lighting up with numbers you don’t recognize. Each time, it’s the same: a spammer asking for someone else, over and over, until you start associating your ringtone with existential dread.
u/Cathene70 reached a breaking point. They even changed their default ringtone to a “bullsh*t alert” and gave their real contacts special tones, just to avoid missing important calls. Yet still, the spam poured in—until one fateful day, when our protagonist decided enough was enough.
The Petty Revenge: A Lie So Good, Even Spammers Bought It
Here’s where the magic happens. Instead of hanging up or yelling, our Redditor channeled their inner actor. The next time a spammer asked for “that person,” they replied:
“I am sorry but there is no one by that name here. I got this number two days ago and for the last two days, I’ve been bombarded by people asking for that person. I do not know who they are, but this phone number is not theirs anymore.”
The result? The spammer—clearly not trained for improvisational theater—immediately apologized and promised to remove the number from their call list. One by one, the calls stopped.
Our hero ended each call with a satisfied smirk, savoring the sweet taste of victory (and maybe a little schadenfreude). Their friends and family got a kick out of the story too, laughing at how easily the spammers fell for the ruse.
Why Does This Work? The Secret Sauce of Spam Callers
Here’s the genius of this petty revenge: most spam call centers work from massive, outdated call lists that get passed around and sold to the highest bidder. If you confirm your identity or engage, you stay on the list—or worse, get flagged as a “live one.” But if you convincingly claim, “nope, wrong number,” you might just get a free pass to the “do not call” pile.
It’s a simple psychological trick. Spammers don’t want to waste time (and money) calling dead ends, especially if you sound annoyed enough that you might report them. Plus, many companies are legally required to remove wrong numbers from their lists, lest they incur fines.
The Human Side: Why It’s More Than Just Annoying
Beyond the nuisance, there’s a real emotional toll to constant spam calls. For u/Cathene70, the number they used belonged to their late brother. At first, it was quiet—just the occasional call from a charity. But then the spam avalanche began, and every ring brought the anxiety of missed opportunities, especially in the middle of a job hunt.
It’s an all-too-relatable reminder: our phones are lifelines, not just gadgets, and spam calls can turn them into sources of stress.
Petty, Clever—And Maybe a Little Therapeutic
Let’s be honest. There’s something deeply satisfying about outsmarting a spammer. Maybe it’s the tiny reclaiming of privacy, or maybe it’s the knowledge that you’ve sent a little ripple through the spammer’s day. Either way, this story is proof that a bit of wit and a well-timed fib can restore a sense of control in our tech-infested lives.
Have You Tried This? What’s Your Best Spam Call Story?
So, next time your phone buzzes and you see an unfamiliar number, consider taking a page from u/Cathene70’s book. Who knows? You might just silence the spam, one apology at a time.
Do you have a secret weapon against spam callers? Ever pulled off your own petty revenge? Share your best stories in the comments—let’s help each other reclaim our ringtones (and our sanity) one call at a time!
Original Reddit Post: Constantly getting spamming phone calls, so I made them apologize for calling.