[sammyg2]

They have machines that call random numbers and make it look like it's coming from different places all over the country.

If you get a call and it starts out ... can you hear me? Or "are you there?" Do not say anything. Don't make a sound, just hang up. that's how they test to see if they got a real person.

When they do get a real number, they sell it and spread it around and call it relentlessly.

But if you hang up without saying anything it figures it's a bogus number and forgets it.