I really do agree with you. But somewhere in my late 20's I made the conscious decision to acquit myself with honesty as much as I possibly can. If you find the question so outlandish why not just say "I'm sorry, I don't find that question appropriate."?
i have not, and i would never in a million years ask someone what they currently make. why would i ever do that? what's the point? you might as well ask them about the size of their genitalia.
the range of bullshit answers you will receive, even from the lowest level of positions, just means you're only fooling yourself if you ask these kinds of questions. just ask for what they want. lying about that won't benefit them, it will only benefit me.