Are they getting more persistent?

@Oldwoman70: I personally suggest you to just ignore those calls. Talking to them often make things worse. They will even sell your details and phone numbers to other companies, so that you will get more spam calls. I have just read similar Google related scam calls filed at www.whycall.me/800-259-0284.html by people since a while ago. They have been around for years I think. We should be aware of them.

Just use answer machine, I have used mine for years , if its family or important they will leave a message. Just dont pick up the phone.

I have an answer machine. Very rarely does anyone leave a message!

I have Plusnet and they provide free service which shows either the number or name of caller. If the name is not programmed into the phone to show it's someone we want to talk to we just ignore the call. Most days get at least two numbers we don't recognise, five rings and it goes away. Started at 8.30 this morning!
Haven't spoken to one of the cold callers for months, it's lovely.

We’ve got Skytalk Shield too. Scammers don’t seem to want to give their name and go away.

It does enable you to either answer the call and not save the number or answer and add it to your ‘Star List’ of approved callers. It also seems to be able to see the proper number the scammers are using rather than the one that pops up on our phone as all calls which are on our accepted ‘Star List’ get through fine.

We haven’t had a scam call for ages now. I think we’ve been black listed. Love it. Worth keeping with Sky for!

This is why I have an answering machine, it does cut down these calls. I also put very little on my Facebook profile. It's well known scammers trawl social media for background info and will even steal your mail to obtain info on you.

Hi rosenoir, yes I didn't mean being rude to people who genuinely work in call centres. The difficulty being how do you know the person is calling from a genuine call centre? You are better to hang up, give it about half an hour. Then phone the company back FROM A DIFFERENT PHONE. These scammers are unbelievably clever , they have false background noise and all manner of things to make you believe it is a genuine call centre. Many of them seem to have allsorts of background knowledge about you too. Who is genuine? You have to treat any stranger who phones you like a potential scammer.

I have Sky Shield now so anyone who phones has to say who they are before I accept the call. This doesn’t apply to numbers my DH put into what they call the safe list. If I think it’s a scam I don’t accept the call then immediately block their number. Since we started this we rarely get any spam calls.

Have just re read the OP and realised it is about actual scammers, I was refering to cold callers. Apologies.

For many people working in a call centre for minimum wage is the only option for employment, I do not believe that it is a career choice for many.

There is no need to be rude or abusive to them, a simple no thank you and put the phone down is enough.

I think they are getting more persistent and more ratty as people have cottoned onto their intentions.

Just get an answer machine and don't answer the phone. If it's someone you know they will leave a message. When the man asked why you hung up, you don't answer and hang up on him again. Folk need to stop being so polite. These callers will scam you out of every penny you have. If a number comes up on your mobile and you dont know the number , don't answer. If you are expecting a call then fine, but if you don't know them, hang up. You do not need to justify yourself.

Depends how busy I am. Sometimes just put the phone down otherwise take great pleasure in stringing them along about my BT termination (don't have BT) PPI claims (too late) or the accident/Insurance claim (not true). Last one I kept talking and countering what the was saying for quite a long time, she got quite ratty with me after a while, even more so when I told her what she was doing was now illegal

This last week we have had 3/4 calls from an "accent free" lady in fact she was very well spoken so it took me by surprise for a second, she was telling me my BT account was being terminated if I didn't respond and press 1,she was told in a rather broad "scouse accent" where to go,they will try anything to catch you off guard now.I do have call barring but some still through.

Every day I get calls from "BT" saying they are going to terminate my broadband, calls saying my debit card has been used to withdraw £600 and this week's favourite .... an automated voice telling me Amazon prime are going to withdraw 39 point 99 great British pounds from my account. Most are automated messages but BT is a person and they get the fullness of my wrath and, to my shame, I actually swear at them.

I have had the same thing although not from Google. The problem is that for a little while after I find I am doubting myself and wondering if it could be genuine!