Blocking doesn't work. I've done it 20 times, still several calls a day.

Calls 4-6 times a day, no message left. Answered today and it was "Alison from Home Protection Technology". It was one of those type of recordings that pause for replies, which I think is why sometimes there would be no one there when answering.  Comes up as Mohit Garg, in Astoria.  Ironically, all internet search results found that matched name and number were user group posts from this person asking to unsubscribe from their lists.  Maybe he was annoyed with the emails?  Hopefully not some poor guy who got spoofed and now has a lot of ppl angry at him.

 Started calling my cell phone a couple weeks ago. Only a few people have my cell number, so this must be a robo dialer with a spoofed number. Since it was a local area code, I called back.  Got a message that said to be taken off the call list push 1.  No company ID, nothing.  Did not push one because doing so can cost a lot of money.  Plus it tells them they have a live number.
The phone companies have the power to stop these calls, but they won't because they make money from every call placed, selling spoofed numbers to the scammers, and then we buy more caller ID.  Why stop!
Until we force the phone companies'  hand, these calls will never stop.

This has nothing to do with phone companies, anyone can spoof Caller ID, and phone companies are powerless to stop it. They don't "sell" spoofed numbers so they can "make more money". And what do you mean "we buy more Caller ID"? Caller ID comes with all cell phones anyway.
You are right, though, that responding by hitting 1 tells them they have a live number.
Best bet is to block with a blocking app.

Unfortunately it's all you can do.

How does blocking not work? Unless they call from another number, blocking has to work unless there is something wrong with your phone.