As a Dutchman I've never received a call like that. Only once a text message (about 7 months ago), and I highly suspect that one was just sent by my ISP on the advertiser's behalf.
The loan forgiveness people are especially annoying as they'll also text you, and don't respect their own "Text STOP to stop" message. When you talk to them, they refuse to give their street address, so you can't send them a cease & desist letter.
In fact, I once got a new phone number that was previously owned by someone who owed a lot of people money. I was getting regular harassing calls from debt collectors who didn't believe that I was the new owner of the number. So I called the police and filed a report. I then called the phone company and gave them the number of the police report, and they gave me a phone number to call a few minutes after each time the debt collectors would call me. After 2 or 3 calls, they had the contact info of the debt collectors, gave it to the police who contacted the debt collectors and I never heard from them again.
Why can't this approach work for scam calls? I mean if they're outside the country, it would involve more work, but if thousands or millions of people are reporting calls that originate from the same place, then it seems like it would rise to the level of being worth it to do something about it.
- https://www.forbes.com/sites/adamtanner/2013/07/08/how-the-p...
Selling an address updating service to parties that already have your address is not the same as "straight up sell[ing] your phone number when you move."
From the horses mouth:
"The information you supply will be used to provide you with the requested mail forwarding and related services. Please be aware that this service is voluntary, and that requested information is required to provide the service. Collection of information for this service is authorized by 39 U.S.C. §403 and 404. We do not disclose your personal information to anyone, except in accordance with the Privacy Act. Authorized disclosures include limited circumstances such as the following ... to mailers, if already in possession of your name and old mailing address, as an address correction service. Information will also be provided to licensed service providers of the USPS to perform mailing list correction service of lists containing your name and old address. A list of these licensed service providers can be obtained at the following URL: http://ribbs.usps.gov/ncoalink /documents/tech_guides/CERTIFIED_LICENSEES"
They imply they only provide the new address but saying "the information you supply" leaves it open to for them to provide your phone number along with your new address.
Granted that is anecdotal.
On the final move I went back to the USPS website and noticed I was required to agree to the terms that they can sell my new address and phone number. I emailed the USPS regarding those terms on a Saturday afternoon and the next morning received a response that it is not really possible.
Long story short: On a Sunday, the USPS emailed me that I would have to visit a post office to fill out a change of address form just to "opt out" of the selling of my info.
Just because they ask for it (phone number) does not mean they actually need it. Does USPS ever call anyone? Just enter a fake number (xxx-555-1212 often works if their web programmer was not trying to be smart).
And FWIW I'm also in the group that doesn't answer calls that are not linked to my contacts. I have also noticed that the spoofed numbers use my area code, exchange and even a jumble of the last 4 digits to get my attention.
If nothing else I want some sort of non-forgeable identifier for the telcom provider of the calling party. Then we can work on blacklisting those that cater to spammers.
You probably never will, not without stringing them along and getting them to slip up and mention some identifiable information about themselves.
There's a pretty good Reply All episode about this: https://gimletmedia.com/episode/long-distance/