I've had a couple of odd phone calls, from people who claimed that I called them. But they were calling my landline, which I rarely make calls from. Likewise, had a missed call on my cell phone, and when I returned the call, the woman who answered said she never called me.

Is it possible that telemarketers are now spoofing real phone numbers?

I never answer unless I know the caller.

Same thing has happened to me. I even get calls showing my own number.

I've received calls showing my own number as well.
I don't answer any call from anyone not already in my contacts list.

They have programs that spoof random numbers without regard to whether they're being used or not.

They match the area code and exchange of the number they're calling, and then use random numbers for the last four digits. That way it appears the call is coming from someone local.

I too rarely answer an unfamiliar number, but one came in a day or two ago that I thought I recognized and I picked up. The caller asked for Robert and I advised they had the wrong number, then they said well while I have you on the line...call ended quickly after that.

Huh. When calls come to my personal phone, no big deal. But when they're coming in to the business phone, I kinda have to answer in case its a tenant, potential client, etc ... annoying.

That's why answered because it was on my business / cell phone....very annoying.

Seems I've started emailing myself really good deals on stuff that I'll never buy because I know it's cheap and worthless.

Caller ID was one of the greatest inventions ever.

I had one yesterday that my caller ID indicated was from Suddenlink, which is my cable and internet provider. Answered the phone and no one was there.

If I mistakenly pick up the phone and its a telemarketer, I will first say please wait a minute. I set the phone down, start moaning and groaning real loud, and 5 seconds later I'll pick up the phone and they're gone. Also, I will sometimes ask if they will provide me with their home phone number. Then, they hang up quicker. Sometimes, they will stay on long enough to hear the moaning and groaning. Those are the ones that you really need to be careful with....

I rarely answer the phone if I don't know who it is on caller ID. However at work we have a bunch of cell phones with 713-539-XXXX. So I answer those. I do some emergency response stuff. 90% of the time that's either silence or a telemarketer.

The other day my caller ID comes up with a call from the guy who rind our Fab Shop. I also saltwater fish with him a bunch. I pick it up and it's some telemarketer. Once I hang up I verify that the last call I got was from my Fab Shop buddy. It was. I don't know how they did that. If they figure out how to do that we are doomed.

They should put a bounty on telemarketers and door to door salesmen.

If they call me on my land line I say "can you hold" and throw the phone on the couch. Another good tactic is tell them you are busy and ask the can you have their home number so you can return the call later.