Uptick in nuisance calls from "VM tech dept"

[GlowWine]

Help! This is getting annoying now! Five in the last hour, about 10 in the last week after relative calm previously. Yes we are with the TPS but of course these guys don't respect that. At least I can now reject a call directly, but the phone still rings. And I don't want to block all unknown numbers not in my phone book, in fact I'm not sure my phone (landline) can do this. I can identify them now without answering because they all come from the two same dialling code areas. I individually add them to my blocked list but I'm wondering if that's pretty futile anyway.
Does anyone have any tips or anecdotes to preserve my sanity?? Will they lose interest if I stop answering now that I've figured out the pattern?
Thanks for allowing me to let off steam 😉

Hi, sorry no real answer to this. I pulled ours out of the wall after receiving 4 telemarketing calls in the space of 15 minutes a few weeks ago, and haven't plugged it back in. And won't be doing.

it does stop in around 3 days when the autodialler moves on. You can get cheap call blockers that plug into landlines and work really well. Look on ebay.

had one 9:30 Good Friday, put it into the blocked list, silence since.

Thanks for the encouragement, I do hope it will wear off soon. I am still blocking individual numbers as I go (another two), as they keep changing by just a couple of digits. Don't really use the landline either but occasionally important calls do come through, especially recently, from ppl /orgs who might not necessarily have my/DH mobile number (esp his!)

We've got call guardian. People have to announce who they are before the phone actually rings. Automated calls don't do that, so phone doesn't ring. You can also block numbers, add numbers that don't then have to announce themselves.

I can beat that. 17 calls one afternoon from "Scottish Power" at work. I'd already told them that it wasn't something I had any control over and I wasn't (surprise) going to give the person's personal telephone number who did so they could hassle them instead.

It was actually funny.

Eventually I phoned Scottish power customer service line (you know, that line they told me that wasn't working so I had to deal with them then on the phone). Scottish Power assured me that the issues they were claiming didn't exist.
So on the 17th call I told them I'd sorted it all out directly with Scottish power. And the phone went dead, never to call back again.

@MargaretThursday hey that sounds inspired! Unfortunately telling them I've got no problems/I'm not a VM customer has zero effect except throw them off their script. @Seeline yes I think my phone can do that but I don't want to inflict it on my callers (yet!) We'll see how it goes this week before I investigate further.