I have a 1-2 second rule. I pick up I say hello, if someone doesn't respond in 1-2 seconds, I hang up.

They have the scammers working off phone queues, it takes a little bit of time to get the call to the scammer, who has to start off with a script, so there's a delay.

Remember, the scammer, also likely not a native english speaker, also probably bored out of their mind, has to spin up, they have to read the name, understand how to say it and then say it out loud. Their is a mental startup time that a normal conversation doesn't have.

If someone calls you and isn't ready to immediately respond to "hello" it's a scammer.

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zamadatix 5 days ago | parent | next [-]

I try to avoid picking up and saying anything because it seems like an advertisement "yes, this number is not only active but a real person who answers random calls - try calling back (possibly from a different number) later".

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tejohnso 4 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

I don't even pick up calls from unknown numbers. I use call screen. Most people hang up as soon as they hear it, or they don't say anything at all. Once somebody did start speaking sensibly and a personal matter and I picked up and continued the call normally. Probably my favourite feature since upgrading to a reasonably modern phone.

https://support.google.com/phoneapp/answer/9118387?hl=en

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barbazoo 4 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

In those 2 seconds, do you count the inevitable preamble of "Hellooooo... Hello? ... Heeeello? Yes now I can hear you." or is that just me?

	▲	rightbyte 4 days ago \| parent [-]
		Whenever I have bluetooth headsets in a 20m radius from my phone I do that too.

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aj7 5 days ago | parent | prev [-]

I use a variation of this. I answer but do not speak. A legitimate caller will speak immediately.

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craftkiller 5 days ago | parent | next [-]

Not always true. My landlord recently had a contractor call me. I did my usual "pick up and don't say anything" routine for unrecognized numbers, and the contractor silently hung up and never called back. Thankfully my roommate actually answered the call, but pick-up-shut-up prevents legit people from leaving voicemails and sometimes prevents legit people from reaching you entirely.

Personally, I would utter a confused "hello?" if I was calling somone, the ringing stopped, and no one said anything, but I guess not everyone would.

	▲	brewdad 4 days ago \| parent \| next [-]
		I could easily see someone like a contractor calling from the road or otherwise not paying full attention to their phone. They likely never realized you answered and needed the "hello" to refocus their attention.
	▲	lo_zamoyski 4 days ago \| parent \| prev [-]
		Let it go to voicemail.

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nerdsniper 4 days ago | parent | prev [-]

As with 'craftkiller, I've noticed that I do need to make some kind of noise. I've settled on subtle light coughs or grunts (nothing anyone would think twice about, but which will definitely trigger a "oh this is a human!"). I figure it might still fool some percentage of automated systems which detect whether a human (and which human) is actually there or not based on automated transcription.