Why do scammers want you to be the one to hang up?

[hightail]

Normally I wouldn't answer any call unless I recognised the number but at the moment I am expecting calls from strangers so have to.  I've just had a reasonably entertaining exchange where I just repeated 'I don't want phone calls from you'.  Must have been about twenty times with the scammer on the other end getting increasingly irate and eventually shouting at me to hang up.  I didn't.  I know they don't want to be the one to end the call but I don't know why.  Can anyone enlighten me?

[hightail]

It was a woman and she was absolutely furious with me towards the end, shouting at me to hang up if I didn't want to speak to her.  I know it's a thing that they don't want to end the call.  The other thing that was obvious was that she wanted me to say 'yes' and I wouldn't.  She was saying all sorts of things to try and get me to agree with her on something - anything.  I think that is so they have you recorded and can then claim you have agreed to anything.  She was truly fizzing on that,  yelling at me that she 'expected' me to answer her questions and stop behaving like a robot. 

[hightail]

31 minutes ago, Ethel Street said:

It's not at all clear that the scam actually exists or if it would even work in the way it's claimed.

I'd have been right there with you until today.  The increasing desperation with which she wanted me to agree with her and answer in the affirmative was honestly comical.  She really did get very demanding to the point of shouting 'I expect you to answer my questions do you understand'.  I never just answer yes to any unsolicited call, in response to 'hello is that Hightail' I only ever ask who's calling.  Didn't realise until today how much it annoys them.

Edited April 21, 2022 by hightail

[hightail]

4 hours ago, Homer67 said:

It's probably just an ego thing

It is with me now.  I count it as a victory that I make them give up on the call and hang up.  I wondered if they got in trouble for not pressing a potential victim hard enough if they give up.