The first rule of avoiding scam calls is to never answer unknown numbers, and even some known ones.
Curious? Bored? Worried it’s an emergency? Wait the extra minute it takes for the call to go to voice mail, then decide if it’s legitimate.
Unfortunately, every year millions of people either ignore that golden rule or are tricked into answering.
I’ve been breaking the rule myself recently, out of professional curiosity and, yes, boredom.