An unfortunate turn of events necessitated my wife and I getting new cell phones last week. I haven’t had a cell phone in years. These new phones have a message capacity.
Yesterday, I got a simple text message “im here” from a number I didn’t recognize. It was 1[local area code] plus a bunch of other numbers. Why would a local number have the long distance 1 in front of it?
I checked a web site for Country Calling Codes and learned my local area code shares a country code with the East African Country of Djibouti.
I don’t know anybody in Africa, so I figure it must be a scam to call them long distance and be charged some kind of superduperpooper fee. Maybe this is an old scam, but attempting to mask an international call by using the same country code as a local area code is kind of clever. But not, however, clever enough.
Okay, in all fairness, maybe it wasn’t a scam, just a wrong number with a coincidence. But I’d bet a on scam.
Meh, I’ve been getting texts from some lady I’ve never met before over the last three weeks telling me to stay away from her husband and that if I don’t she’ll kick my ass. Turns out I have a number that’s one off from a person she knows and she was "so angry I couldn’t see"according to her when I called.
So, could be nothing. Text them back and see if they strike up a conversation!
Maybe the US is different from the rest of the world, but everywhere else, cellphone networks display the number prefaced with either a “+” symbol, or the international dialling code of the country you’re in when you get the call - which in the US is 011. The networks don’t display the international dialling code from the country that’s calling.
What you’ve got there is what we call a wrong number! Never gotten one before?
There really isn’t a long distance code (1) for mobile phones, you can make calls within the US and Canada with or without it. To dial international you must always dial 011 to get out of the US. If you called that number there is no way you’ld be directed to Djibouti. Further more, most wireless carriers only allow international dialing if you elect for an international plan.
Incidently, when I receive international calls/texts the country-city-phone number is all that is displayed, no access code.
Most likely someone just put in the wrong number when texting a friend. I get them all the time, sometimes I even have a little fun with them. You should have replied back, “OK! Go wait for me at the corner!”
