I don't get this 'having fun with scammers' - the poor sods making the calls are just trying to earn a living. What's wrong with 'Sorry, no thanks' then putting the phone down?
Does no-one here reflect what it is like, keeping your family fed by doing night shifts in a cubicle in a Mumbai call centre?
My call log shows rejected calls. Yesterday we had 5 where there was no number, 3 international and 2 withheld, all rejected by the phone without ringing it and 1 call from a friend. I have a bad knee and have to get out of my chair to answer the phone. So why the 'F' should I not be rude when cold called?
My number is on the TPS and I never, ever, give permission for sales calls. If they want the business from some mug who'd buy over the phone, they get the rude, time wasting or a angry response from me when they call, because I don't want to speak to them.
I do feel a little sorry for the operators but not enough to be polite. If I call someone out of the blue to sell them something, and believe me I've done it for a short while, I expect people to not like it. You either grow a thick skin and move onto the next call if you are in that kind of job, I did. OR you stop doing the job. Just don't expect me to like it.