Annoying Phone Calls from North Dakota

I don't know if anyone is getting annoyed by phone calls from this number in North Dakota:

701-625-5003

If you don't answer the phone they won't leave a message on your answering machine. I just got another call from them. Usually get a few calls a week from North Dakota.

However if you do answer the phone you get a recorded message that says something to the effect of: "if you're tired of getting calls from collection agencies, press 1. If you want to be removed from our phone list, press 2."

So in answer to the first part, no, collection agencies do not phone me. Well they occasionally they phone looking for Chris Rhodes who I've never heard of and is no relation to me. I've been getting calls for him for many years in 4 different houses and phone numbers. I'm assuming Chris is a male because my husband answered once and was unable to convince the female collector he wasn't Chris and she was very rude to him. With call display he phoned back and it was a collection agency. He asked the receptionist for this woman's supervisor and told her what happened. He received an apology and had our name removed from their list of suspected phone numbers for Chris.

Anyway its been a good 2 years since I last received a call asking for Chris so no more collection agencies have been calling.

Back to 701-625-5003 I did a Google search on it and found some forums discussing it. People across Canada are getting calls even those of us on the do not call directory. Apparently American scammers don't care less about Canadian laws. I've never actually talked to a person from this number. I usually don't answer the phone. One time I stayed on long enough to press 2 to get my number removed from their list but that didn't work.

I gather from the forums its some scammer either posing as a credit counselling service or sometimes as a debt collector. Either way if you get a call like this ignore it. Or keep a whistle or air horn handy by your phone and if you get connected with a live body, let them have it.