6 ms·

Well, from what I can tell, older people are targeted at far high rate. Age seems to be a valued input to the process. I can guess a number of reasons for tha

Well, from what I can tell, older people are targeted at far high rate. Age seems to be a valued input to the process. I can guess a number of reasons for that.

willcipriano 6y ago
Does anyone under 50 pick up the phone if they don't know the number that's calling?
- countername 6y ago
  Yes
- daniel_j 6y ago
  When searching for a job is the best example. Though these are usually not hidden numbers and for me, if a mobile is calling it's either a wrong number or work related. Spam seems to always a landline.
  - frosted-flakes 6y ago
    In North America, all phones, landline or cell, have the same number format: 1 (222) 345-6789, where 222 is the area code.
    - daniel_j 6y ago
      Oh that's interesting, here in Australia mobile numbers are always 04xx xxx xxx (though according to wikipedia, 5 is also valid but i've not seen it)
- Turing_Machine 6y ago
  Most people I know over 50 don't answer unknown numbers either. But it's the same as spam... getting one victim out of a hundred thousand is probably enough to make it pay off.
- accelbred 6y ago
  Only when I'm on call.
- ramphastidae 6y ago
  Sure. Ever gotten a call from a delivery person with food? A doctor’s office with test results? A hair salon confirming an appointment? A teammate with an emergency at work? A taxi driver with the wallet you forgot? A distant relative that needs help? A potential customer referred by a friend?
  - jackson1442 6y ago
    Food I’m expecting, so I pick up. Usually my phone actually tells me it’s DoorDash calling, which is nice. Just about all the others get to go to voicemail and I’ll read the vm messages at my leisure as my phone transcribes them for me.
- ryandrake 6y ago
  My parents (over 70) get so many spam calls on their land line it’s comical. Last time I visited them the calls would come two or three per hour, nonstop, day and night. They would leave the phone off the hook at night so it wouldn’t disturb their sleep. It gets worse every decade. Answered a few of them and it was always the usual suspects: the IRS, Microsoft tech support, your credit card company, vacation winner, etc. Best thing they ever did was cancel their (at least) 50 year old phone number.

Well, from what I can tell, older people are targeted at far high rate. Age seems to be a valued input to the process. I can guess a number of reasons for that.

willcipriano 6y ago

Does anyone under 50 pick up the phone if they don't know the number that's calling?

countername 6y ago
Yes
daniel_j 6y ago
When searching for a job is the best example. Though these are usually not hidden numbers and for me, if a mobile is calling it's either a wrong number or work related. Spam seems to always a landline.
- frosted-flakes 6y ago
  In North America, all phones, landline or cell, have the same number format: 1 (222) 345-6789, where 222 is the area code.
  - daniel_j 6y ago
    Oh that's interesting, here in Australia mobile numbers are always 04xx xxx xxx (though according to wikipedia, 5 is also valid but i've not seen it)
Turing_Machine 6y ago
Most people I know over 50 don't answer unknown numbers either. But it's the same as spam... getting one victim out of a hundred thousand is probably enough to make it pay off.
accelbred 6y ago
Only when I'm on call.
ramphastidae 6y ago
Sure. Ever gotten a call from a delivery person with food? A doctor’s office with test results? A hair salon confirming an appointment? A teammate with an emergency at work? A taxi driver with the wallet you forgot? A distant relative that needs help? A potential customer referred by a friend?
- jackson1442 6y ago
  Food I’m expecting, so I pick up. Usually my phone actually tells me it’s DoorDash calling, which is nice. Just about all the others get to go to voicemail and I’ll read the vm messages at my leisure as my phone transcribes them for me.
ryandrake 6y ago
My parents (over 70) get so many spam calls on their land line it’s comical. Last time I visited them the calls would come two or three per hour, nonstop, day and night. They would leave the phone off the hook at night so it wouldn’t disturb their sleep. It gets worse every decade. Answered a few of them and it was always the usual suspects: the IRS, Microsoft tech support, your credit card company, vacation winner, etc. Best thing they ever did was cancel their (at least) 50 year old phone number.