There are actually hundreds of different scams going.

Some are selling legit things but pressure you to buy them with distorted promises about why they are worth even more money than you'll be paying by purchasing them.

Some will use spoofing, making it look like they are a local call on your caller ID so that you'll pick up your phone. Get rid of that person using a deceptive tactic before you even answer the phone ASAP.

They almost all insist on some sort of committment on your part that results in you eventually parting with money.............which is how they make a living.

Being convincing enough to sell you on something that results in them, personally getting a cut......making a commission or get rewarded for convincing you to give up your money.

None of them are calling you because they care about you, they are doing it for them, even when its a legit product. They are not giving you options or comparisons with other similar products they don't sell. 

The only choice is the one that results in you parting with your money, which goes to them or their cause. Because of this, I will NEVER agree to send a penny to anybody using this method, no matter what.

Even if its a legit organization, I will look them up on the internet and use a 100% proven authentic method to donate but usually, anybody calling this way get's taken OFF my donation list permanently because some of my donation goes to pay for people making calls like this.

Little story:

I've volunteered to help a number of local charities here in Evansville IN, including Easter Seals. This goes back to my connection to that organization when I was chief meteorologist on WEHT because we did "The Easter Seals Telethon" on television every Spring.

One January, in 2011 I decided to try something new and volunteered to make phone calls to try to get people to make donations. Everybody doing this met together for 3 hours in the actual Rehab center and used their phones to make the calls. It was wonderful to meet several like minded people and it was basically a phone a thon to raise money. All the numbers that we were given were from people that had given previously.........which is a huge difference from just going thru the phone book for random numbers. At least, for me it was because I figured that we were calling only people that didn't need coercion to believe in the cause. 

For me, using coercion on people to give up their hard earned money, even if it's for something worthwhile doesn't work for my ethical belief system.  

So right from the get go, I hated doing it to pieces. I was that person on the other end of the phone that I just described above. Every call, I imagined that I was interrupting them from doing something at home to get their money. Of course I was a volunteer not making a penny but that didn't make it better for me, especially considering the responses.

I had sort of wishfully thought that some people would embrace the request with "Oh, Easter Seals and the Rehab Center........I love you guys and would be more than happy to donate again!"

Not one response anything like that.

Instead, I could strongly detect a distinct coldness to their end of the conversation. Most making up excuses for why they can't donate, others letting you know that I was an interruption, even some people just hanging up. 

Part of helping out an organization and doing charity work is the feeling of reward that the giver/helper gets from touching the lives of others in a positive way.

This was the polar opposite of that. I had signed up for 2 nights but after that one, just told them I can't do this ever again. Sorry but I have too much of a conscience and actually feel what other people are feeling when I interact with them. 

So my opinion of people that call you/us on the phone to get your money is bottom of the barrel and even for good causes, it takes somebody that is insensitive to the feelings of other people.