In April, I received calls from 12 different cities in North Carolina

Sounds like you posted your “male wanted” Craigslist ad in the wrong state baw.

Car Warranty, Student Loan, and Chronic Pain.

You live in North Carolina and robocalls use data centers close where the recipient lives in hope that they'll pick up a local number.

Debt collection

I get a call every other few days from Illinois, and it's an Asian lady yelling at me on a recording. 20 of them since the start of the year.

I put it on speaker, OL and i laugh.

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I put it on speaker, OL and i laugh.

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If I'm not busy I answer and pretend to be interested.

Ignoring them doesn't get them to quit calling so I run interference (keep them away from real victims).

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Except I live in Texas

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Plot twist. I assume you have a North Carolina phone number?

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I haven't answered any and they don't leave a message - what kind of scam are they trying to pull?

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These are overseas scam operators that spoof (or rent) blocks of numbers - by area codes - to just call all the other numbers in that area code. They've found they increase the number of pickups if they do that. People (old people, particularly), think that is someone they might know or some business with which they have a relationship and answer, despite the number not offering a name (typically) and not stored in the potential victim's phone.

These are not local folks doing this. These are primarily run from the Subcontinent (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, etc.), but you also have Jamaican, Nigerian and other third world scamming operations doing these.

The scams vary - the IRS scam, the "lower your interest rate scam", the "This is Windows" scam, as well as many others.

Just don't answer. If they leave a message. Don't call back. If it is someone you know or a business with whom you deal, call them back if they leave a message.