I DO NOT answer phone unless I recognize number. My ans. machine is NEVER on. Friends/relatives know my cell. If I answer then YES, they will sell the number. I keep a LIST beside my phone with these numbers and when a new number comes in, I find it n call notes. This has cut down on many, many calls because I DO NOT ANSWER.
Whenever I get a call from a suspicious number, I simply answer "Attorney General's Office-Telephone Fraud Division." I only wish I could see the muzzles on some of these live callers as they get overcome with panic.