I’ve been wondering about something that probably resonates with many of us who still use our phones for calls and not just texting or apps. What percentage of phone calls are actually legitimate?
Even with my carrier’s “junk call” blocking, I find myself receiving 4 to 5 calls daily with no caller ID. It’s become second nature now to reject these unknown callers. But if I do answer, it often turns into a choice between being pitched a Medicare scam, a car insurance scam, a social security scam, or even a utility scam.
It makes me curious – how much of our call traffic is just a relentless barrage of marketing ploys and fraudulent schemes? The few times I still get a phone call, they either have caller ID and it’s someone I know, or it’s just a phone number and there’s a 99% chance it’s junk.
I’d clock it at a fraction of 1%. I had one relative I’d hear from once every few months who always forgot to unblock their landline number before dialing, and then there’s the rare healthcare number that you’re not meant to be able to call back (but you’re told to expect the call). But effectively all of them are spam. If it’s important, they’ll leave a message and callback number.