If I have time for it I usually go for the homicide investigation variant. It might start out something like this:
Me: Hello? (I don't answer with my name when I don't recognize the number) Scammer: Hello! Is this XXX YYY I am talking to? Me: Yes, this is XXX's phone. Who is this? S: This Mike, I'm calli... Me: <briskly> Mike who? S: I'm Mike. I'm calling from ... Me: <more briskly> Are you one of the kidnappers? S: Whut??? Me: You are calling for XXX YYY, yes? S: Yes! I am calling to ... Me: XXX YYY has been kdnapped. Is that why you are calling? S: Whut??!! No! I'm calling to Me: Hold on the line please. <Pretend to talk to someone else in the room and tell them to start a trace> So, Mike, where are you? S: I'm... I'm calling for XXX YYY.... Me: Yes, Mike, I know. Is XXX YYY still alive?
and then pretty much just improvise to see how long I can string them along before they hang up.
Told them that I was a member of their branch a floor above them and that they misdialed. They said “F#$k you” and hung up. Didn’t get a call back from them for a few months.
If I have time for it I usually go for the homicide investigation variant. It might start out something like this:
Me: Hello? (I don't answer with my name when I don't recognize the number) Scammer: Hello! Is this XXX YYY I am talking to? Me: Yes, this is XXX's phone. Who is this? S: This Mike, I'm calli... Me: <briskly> Mike who? S: I'm Mike. I'm calling from ... Me: <more briskly> Are you one of the kidnappers? S: Whut??? Me: You are calling for XXX YYY, yes? S: Yes! I am calling to ... Me: XXX YYY has been kdnapped. Is that why you are calling? S: Whut??!! No! I'm calling to Me: Hold on the line please. <Pretend to talk to someone else in the room and tell them to start a trace> So, Mike, where are you? S: I'm... I'm calling for XXX YYY.... Me: Yes, Mike, I know. Is XXX YYY still alive?
and then pretty much just improvise to see how long I can string them along before they hang up.
Me: Hello? (I don't answer with my name when I don't recognize the number)
Scammer: Hello! Is this XXX YYY I am talking to?
Me: Yes, this is XXX's phone. Who is this?
S: This Mike, I'm calli...
Me: <briskly> Mike who?
S: I'm Mike. I'm calling from ...
Me: <more briskly> Are you one of the kidnappers?
S: Whut???
Me: You are calling for XXX YYY, yes?
S: Yes! I am calling to ...
Me: XXX YYY has been kdnapped. Is that why you are calling?
S: Whut??!! No! I'm calling to
Me: Hold on the line please. <Pretend to talk to someone else in the room and tell them to start a trace> So, Mike, where are you?
S: I'm... I'm calling for XXX YYY....
Me: Yes, Mike, I know. Is XXX YYY still alive?
and then pretty much just improvise to see how long I can string them along before they hang up.