Sometimes the spoof is actually stupid...
Like having a city & state listed as the caller with an area code that doesn't match.
Can you still buy an answering machine?
Not sure what is on the market now, but the last time we bought cordless phones the base station comes with a digital answering machine. One problem is when the power goes out. Sometimes when the power is out here we will go into town for dinner or a movie (depending on time of day). We can often get someone to call our home number after explaining our power was out. If the machine answers, we know the power is back.
jtk
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)