no caller id. every fucking day

[PepperElf]

I'm stumped on this one. Marketing ploy? Something bigger?

Sunday I had a "no caller id" call in the morning. I missed it. Since then, EVERY DAY I've had 1 - 2 "no caller ID" calls usually somewhere between 8 am and 3pm. The caller leaves no voice mail, and doesn't try calling back.

Only once did I answer in time and the guy mumbled something and hung up.

I also received (monday or tuesday) a spam text, but I'm unsure if that's related.


Oh and for reference, yes this is still Billy's old phone number. Which means it could possibly be someone who hates the cops, but I doubt it's anything collections-related.

I'm kinda wondering if maybe it's another marketing ploy - finding active numbers etc? Or something else entirely.


I had it happen once before, on my old phone back somewhere between 02 and 04, but I never figured out what it was, just that every time I answered the caller hung up.

[NorthernZel]

Could be a bad attempt at a classic phone scam - scammer calls from a premium rate number and hangs up immediately, so when one rings back he/she has to pay a lot of $$$ for the call. But if the caller ID is obscured it is kinda difficult to call back...

(over here we recently had a case with folks from Lithuania calling random people)

[Andara Bledin]

I rather suspect that you've got an idiot who has the wrong number and is too stupid to stop trying it.

Nekojin had one of these morons recently who was texting and for some reason continued to do so after being told that he wasn't talking to who it was he thought he was talking to.

^-.-^

[PepperElf]

Could be a bad attempt at a classic phone scam - scammer calls from a premium rate number and hangs up immediately, so when one rings back he/she has to pay a lot of $$$ for the call. But if the caller ID is obscured it is kinda difficult to call back...

(over here we recently had a case with folks from Lithuania calling random people)

indeed. and if i had the number i'd 800notes search it first before calling

[Antisocial_Worker]

I've been getting calls from a Seattle-area number for almost a year now. No voicemail, no nothing. Tried answering one once and got a sound like a horn in my ear before I hung up.

[mhkohne]

I've been getting calls from a Seattle-area number for almost a year now. No voicemail, no nothing. Tried answering one once and got a sound like a horn in my ear before I hung up.

That sounds like a modem that's trying to make a connection. Possibly a mis-programmed piece of equipment somewhere.

Can one ask the phone company for help tracking this kind of thing?

[RecoveringKinkoid]

I never answer the phone if there's no caller ID. They can leave a message if it's all that important.

I answered it a couple times when I first got my phone. Always a pre recorded telemarketing pitch. No exceptions. So now I never answer it. No exceptions.

[dalesys]

Tried answering one once and got a sound like a horn in my ear before I hung up.

That sounds like a modem that's trying to make a connection. Possibly a mis-programmed piece of equipment somewhere.

Or an alarm system. I'm aware (so far) of three different classes of sending data over a phone line.
1. Modem (300-56K)
2. Fax
3. Alarm reporting

I have had modems that would misdial about 1% of the calls initiated (at least with USWurst as the telco).

[BrenDAnn]

Lvl_9_Gazebo, was it like a ship horn? There is a telemarketing thing that i know of that as soon as you answer the phone, they blow a horn and say "This is your captain speaking.." No idea what else it says. I hang up as soon as I hear the damn horn! PepperElf, yes, this does sound like a marketing ploy. Sometimes telemarketing companies will call just to see what times you're home/available/will answer the phone. Could also just be someone with a wrong number, too.

[Pagan]

indeed. and if i had the number i'd 800notes search it first before calling

Number Guru is good, too.

I never answer the phone if there's no caller ID. They can leave a message if it's all that important.

I answered it a couple times when I first got my phone. Always a pre recorded telemarketing pitch. No exceptions. So now I never answer it. No exceptions.

I'm the same way. Anybody that I know is calling me, their name pops up on my screen (and I've assigned ringtones, too). I don't recognize the number, I plug it into Number Guru first. 95% of the time, it's spam/scam.

[Mr Hero]

Number Guru is good, too.

Never knew about that site until this thread. Thanks. I've been getting calls from all sorts of area codes, that when I google them, leaves going huh? I don't know anyone in that area.

Lately it's been a Las Vegas area code, though I recognize that one on sight.

[Antisocial_Worker]

Lvl_9_Gazebo, was it like a ship horn? There is a telemarketing thing that i know of that as soon as you answer the phone, they blow a horn and say "This is your captain speaking.." No idea what else it says. I hang up as soon as I hear the damn horn!

That's the one. I wonder if I'm going to have to sit through their spiel in order to get on their do-not-call list.

[PepperElf]

I had the phone on me yesterday, so sometime in the mid morning I got a "no caller ID" and was able to answer it. It was hard to understand the accent at first so I kept saying, "Who?" until I realized it was for "Rodger <last name I couldn't understand anyway>" and I said, "I have no idea who that is". Hopefully they'll stop now.

Then an hour or two later I got a Billy call. Those I don't mind so much though, and the lack of collections calls are why I purposefully kept his number when I got my new phone.

Caller: Could I speak with Mrs. <Billy's last name>*
Me: They no longer use this number.
Caller: If you...
Me: I've never met them.
Caller: Ah, it's a recycled cell number. I'm sorry for the intrusion.

* It just occurred to me though that... wait, "MRS" billy? They're divorced & she took her maiden name. ok, that's weird but o well. (Mrs Ex-billy lives in my apartment complex according to the landlady)


Oh and quick but cute one:
I got a call on my Skype number. It was a little boy calling for a girl. awww... He was polite and shy.

[TheCheerfulTreeRat]

A quick comment re: lack of Caller ID...

I don't know about the States, but in the UK hospitals don't always give caller ID. Presumably for people who freak when they know they've had a medical call, but don't know what about, or don't want people to know they've had a phone call from the Felching by the Sea Finest Kind Clap Clinic and Bait Shop.

[Pagan]

Lately it's been a Las Vegas area code, though I recognize that one on sight.

whocallsme.com is helpful, too.

Would it happen to be 702-463-5274? It for Choice Career Fairs. (I keep going to those even though it's a freaking waste of time every time. Never have near as many employers as they say and who they say is going to be there, half the time they're not.)