# I got a WTF phone call this morning **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 20, 2011, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-a-wtf-phone-call-this-morning/593437 "2011-08-20T16:46:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DorkVader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/73ab20/32.png) [@DorkVader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DorkVader)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2011, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-a-wtf-phone-call-this-morning/593437/1 "2011-08-20T16:46:05Z")
So there I am halfway awake at 745 am, contemplating a blissful saturday when I am jolted to full alertness by my phone ringing. I check the screen and the incoming call is from 1144, thats it. That was the entire phone number, no message left on my voicemail or anything like that. My questions are, what in the heck is that number, how is there a four digit phone number? Is is a fax, or a misdirected text message? Is it a misdirection of the internet of some kind, was some poor schlub trying to load my phone onto his browser in an attempt to view some girl-on-girl-on-girl-on-guy-on-sheep web page? I’ve tried to figure this out myself, to find the answer, but vzw is, of course, of no help, I don’t have the google-fu or the bing-shway to look this up and get any useful results and every time I search the message boards here, holy crap the results are overwhelming (aye, my search skills are rudimentary at best) Not in any particular hurry, but would appreciate any factual answers or help in solving this one. Thanks all you all ---
**Author:** ![IAmNotSpartacus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@IAmNotSpartacus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IAmNotSpartacus)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2011, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-a-wtf-phone-call-this-morning/593437/2 "2011-08-20T16:48:37Z")
Could be coming from a PBX where the extension that is dialing is the ANI sent with the call Could be someone with a spoofed ANI ---
**Author:** ![DorkVader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/73ab20/32.png) [@DorkVader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DorkVader)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2011, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-a-wtf-phone-call-this-morning/593437/3 "2011-08-20T17:13:59Z")
ok, now I’m the poor schlub, what is PBX and ANI? ---
**Author:** ![brittekland](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@brittekland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brittekland)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2011, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-a-wtf-phone-call-this-morning/593437/4 "2011-08-20T17:28:23Z")
Sorry. These are all I can find on number 1144: > **[1144](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1144)** > > Year 1144 (MCXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. > **[The Number 1144: Properties and Meanings](https://www.virtuescience.com/1144.html)** > > A deep collection of meanings for the number 1144 You can generally find out who’s calling by googling but not with 1144 alone. ---
**Author:** ![IAmNotSpartacus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@IAmNotSpartacus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IAmNotSpartacus)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2011, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-a-wtf-phone-call-this-morning/593437/5 "2011-08-20T17:34:01Z")
> [@IAmNotSpartacus](#): > > Could be coming from a PBX where the extension that is dialing is the ANI sent with the call > > Could be someone with a spoofed ANI PBX: Private Branch Exchange, i.e. Offices, Dial 9 to reach an outside line ANI: Automatic Number Identification, i.e. caller ID ---
**Author:** ![DorkVader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/73ab20/32.png) [@DorkVader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DorkVader)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2011, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-a-wtf-phone-call-this-morning/593437/6 "2011-08-20T17:52:27Z")
AUGH! Paranoia reigns, my phone is under attack by the vatican monsignors from Russia (we are Celestine II, we cast out Legion) in an attempt to load it with a date/time triggered viral bomb, and trying to make it stick with Peanut Butter eXtraordinaire! its driving me cuckoo!😃 At any rate, looking up PBX and ANI and following the links from **brittekland** one could possibly come to that conclusion anyway, even though there are other possibilities. Yeah, I’ve googled strange phone numbers before with good results, but that was always a complete number though, not just four digits like this call was. I think I’m just going to have to go with **IAmNotSpartacus** ’ answer for now, but at least I managed to get a laugh out of it. Thanks folks. I will check back later I suppose to see if there are more tips Arrgh, you posted as I was previewing and proofreading and editing my own post **IAmNotSpartacus** ---
**Author:** ![AndyLee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/898d66/32.png) [@AndyLee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AndyLee)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2011, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-a-wtf-phone-call-this-morning/593437/7 "2011-08-20T17:56:35Z")
It could be simply that the phone didn’t transmit the number for some reason. I have gotten calls from friends and it will show up as: John Doe 55-123 When it should be John Doe 555-1234 It’s possible there was simply a hiccup when the number was being transmitted ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2011, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-a-wtf-phone-call-this-morning/593437/8 "2011-08-20T18:00:38Z")
I got one the other day that identified itself as a “voice text”, whatever the hell that is. The recorded voice asked if I wanted to listen to it, and it started out “I think about pubescent girls all day long. . .” I hung up at that point. ---
**Author:** ![Dahu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dahu/32/3416_2.png) [@Dahu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dahu)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2011, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-a-wtf-phone-call-this-morning/593437/9 "2011-08-20T18:43:45Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > I got one the other day that identified itself as a “voice text”, whatever the hell that is. The recorded voice asked if I wanted to listen to it, and it started out “I think about pubescent girls all day long. . .” I hung up at that point. Voice text were introduced in the UK a few years back. If you send a text message from your mobile to a land line, instead of coming back as “undeliverable” it actually rings the number and then reads out your text. ---
**Author:** ![brittekland](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@brittekland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brittekland)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2011, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-a-wtf-phone-call-this-morning/593437/10 "2011-08-20T18:48:13Z")
I gave up on being polite and cordial: Me: “Hello?” Mystery Caller: “Oh, hi. I’m calling to inform you about your prize…” Me: “Click” Generally I don’t even pick up unless I know who’s calling; they can leave me messages. ---
**Author:** ![Al\_Bundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@Al\_Bundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al_Bundy)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2011, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-a-wtf-phone-call-this-morning/593437/11 "2011-08-20T20:46:10Z")
Telemarketers are using number scramblers and other means to make it difficult for the call ID to acquire the full number. It can also occur when using VoIP or Skype. Not easy to tell whether it’s malicious or accidental. It could be both. It’s almost always going to be a telemarketer though. ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2011, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-a-wtf-phone-call-this-morning/593437/12 "2011-08-20T21:02:56Z")
> [@IAmNotSpartacus](#): > > PBX: Private Branch Exchange, i.e. Offices, Dial 9 to reach an outside line > > ANI: Automatic Number Identification, i.e. caller ID [ANI](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automatic_number_identification)is not Caller ID. ---
**Author:** ![DorkVader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/73ab20/32.png) [@DorkVader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DorkVader)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2011, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-a-wtf-phone-call-this-morning/593437/13 "2011-08-20T22:12:26Z")
> [@Dahu](#): > > Voice text were introduced in the UK a few years back. If you send a text message from your mobile to a land line, instead of coming back as “undeliverable” it actually rings the number and then reads out your text. Yeah, voice texts are an option for vzw also, if I want to send a message to a land line **Al Bundy** , didn’t know about that. Hmm. Could be that was it. I don’t answer calls from unfamiliar numbers unless I’m expecting a call from a local business. If its important enough they will leave a message, and if they don’t, well I guess it wasn’t that important. as an update, I am now getting spoofing texts from my “wife” overseas and my “freind” in the midwest ---
**Author:** ![DorkVader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/73ab20/32.png) [@DorkVader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DorkVader)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2011, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-a-wtf-phone-call-this-morning/593437/14 "2011-08-20T22:18:43Z")
HOLY CRAP I just sent a text to my freind and got it right back from my OWN PHONE NUMBER ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2011, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-a-wtf-phone-call-this-morning/593437/15 "2011-08-21T13:47:40Z")
> [@guestchaz](#): > > So there I am halfway awake at 745 am, contemplating a blissful saturday when I am jolted to full alertness by my phone ringing. I check the screen and the incoming call is from 1144, thats it. That was the entire phone number, no message left on my voicemail or anything like that. Just wanted to say that this would be a great start for a sci-fi story written in 1962. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2011, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-a-wtf-phone-call-this-morning/593437/16 "2011-08-21T21:21:45Z")
> [@brittekland](#): > > I gave up on being polite and cordial: > > Me: “Hello?” > Mystery Caller: “Oh, hi. I’m calling to inform you about your prize..” > Me: “Click” I always say “I’m not interested. Goodbye” before the click. Makes me feel better knowing that I was more polite than they were. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2011, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-a-wtf-phone-call-this-morning/593437/17 "2011-08-21T21:26:30Z")
> [@guestchaz](#): > > My questions are, what in the heck is that number, how is there a four digit phone number? Have you recently changed your phone handset, or service plan? ---
**Author:** ![Marconi\_N.Cheese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Marconi\_N.Cheese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marconi_N.Cheese)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2011, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-a-wtf-phone-call-this-morning/593437/18 "2011-08-21T22:14:19Z")
Yeah, four digits is a bit weird. [Short codes](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Short_code) are five or six digits. ---
**Author:** ![brittekland](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@brittekland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brittekland)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2011, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-a-wtf-phone-call-this-morning/593437/19 "2011-08-22T05:33:38Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > I always say “I’m not interested. Goodbye” before the click. > Makes me feel better knowing that I was more polite than they were. I used to, until I gave that up. They are like bugs; they need to be squashed (not that I squash real bugs, if I can help it). ---
**Author:** ![DorkVader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/73ab20/32.png) [@DorkVader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DorkVader)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2011, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-a-wtf-phone-call-this-morning/593437/20 "2011-08-23T08:11:15Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > Just wanted to say that this would be a great start for a sci-fi story written in 1962. 🙂 Hmmm, you’re right, where’s Rod Serling when you need him? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-a-wtf-phone-call-this-morning/593437.md?page=2)