# I just received a phone call from myself. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 4, 2007, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-received-a-phone-call-from-myself/398733 "2007-04-04T17:04:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2007, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-received-a-phone-call-from-myself/398733/1 "2007-04-04T17:04:29Z")
I didn’t answer it in time, but the caller ID showed my name and phone number. I’m at home, this was on my phone, it was showing it’s own number. 😕 Maybe it’s a good thing I didn’t answer. I may have been talking to myself! :eek: But seriously, WTF? This is not the first phone weirdness I’ve experienced recently. [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=8414769&postcount=35](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=8414769&postcount=35) Is someone playing head games with me? Is my phone company (Cavalier) experiencing a nervous breakdown? ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2007, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-received-a-phone-call-from-myself/398733/2 "2007-04-04T17:11:03Z")
[QUOTE=davidm] Maybe it’s a good thing I didn’t answer. I may have been talking to myself! :eek: [/QUOTE] Worst scenario, it coulda been an obscene call! ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2007, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-received-a-phone-call-from-myself/398733/3 "2007-04-04T17:14:35Z")
Apparently it is possible to forge caller ID. [http://www.google.com/search?q=caller+id+forging&start=0&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official](http://www.google.com/search?q=caller+id+forging&start=0&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official) So either the phone company has some computer bugs or some caller forged the caller ID. So basically, I can no longer trust caller ID. Come to think of it, I’ve been finding some weird numbers on my caller ID recently. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2007, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-received-a-phone-call-from-myself/398733/4 "2007-04-04T17:24:48Z")
This company actually sells caller ID spoofing! [https://www.itellas.com/signup.php?searchengine=google&gclid=CIXen7XKqYsCFQ9jgAodKSLJcw](https://www.itellas.com/signup.php?searchengine=google&gclid=CIXen7XKqYsCFQ9jgAodKSLJcw) There need to be new laws and some technological fixes. ---
**Author:** ![TroubleAgain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e480ec/32.png) [@TroubleAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroubleAgain)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2007, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-received-a-phone-call-from-myself/398733/5 "2007-04-04T17:31:10Z")
“We’ve traced the call, and _it’s coming from inside the house!_” ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2007, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-received-a-phone-call-from-myself/398733/6 "2007-04-04T17:33:38Z")
I would definitely pick that call up. Obviously it was ‘future you’ calling to warn ‘present you’ of a horrible danger! All of your current weirdness seems to point to a dangerous conspiracy in which you are playing a innocent part. And now you have shattered the chances of your future self warning you about it. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2007, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-received-a-phone-call-from-myself/398733/7 "2007-04-04T17:33:52Z")
[QUOTE=TroubleAgain] “We’ve traced the call, and _it’s coming from inside the house!_” [/QUOTE] Yea, I thought of that line too. 😃 Of course in this case I know for a fact that I’m here alone. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2007, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-received-a-phone-call-from-myself/398733/8 "2007-04-04T17:36:06Z")
[QUOTE=August West] I would definitely pick that call up. Obviously it was ‘future you’ calling to warn ‘present you’ of a horrible danger! All of your current weirdness seems to point to a dangerous conspiracy in which you are playing a innocent part. And now you have shattered the chances of your future self warning you about it. [/QUOTE] Maybe future me can send an email or something. ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2007, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-received-a-phone-call-from-myself/398733/9 "2007-04-04T17:52:10Z")
On the bright side, future-you did not call collect. So, you are doing OK financially. ---
**Author:** ![limanalee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d07c76/32.png) [@limanalee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/limanalee)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2007, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-received-a-phone-call-from-myself/398733/10 "2007-04-04T17:54:41Z")
When I try to call myself, to check what my message says, I get my voicemail instead, and have to menu down to the message. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2007, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-received-a-phone-call-from-myself/398733/11 "2007-04-04T17:58:45Z")
[QUOTE=limanalee] When I try to call myself, to check what my message says, I get my voicemail instead, and have to menu down to the message. [/QUOTE] That’s how I check my voicemail, by calling my own number. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2007, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-received-a-phone-call-from-myself/398733/12 "2007-04-04T18:46:41Z")
[QUOTE=August West] I would definitely pick that call up. Obviously it was ‘future you’ calling to warn ‘present you’ of a horrible danger! [/QUOTE] Or the Future You FAXing you the plans for the Time Machine. You could _really_ screw this up, fella. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2007, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-received-a-phone-call-from-myself/398733/13 "2007-04-04T20:27:34Z")
[QUOTE=TroubleAgain] “We’ve traced the call, and _it’s coming from inside the house!_” [/QUOTE] “It’s your _father,_ and he’s been _DRINKING!!!_” A virtual chocolate fish goes to the first person who gets this reference. Mr. S loves it and lobs it at me all the time – the quote, not the fish. ---
**Author:** ![lorene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/65b543/32.png) [@lorene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lorene)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2007, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-received-a-phone-call-from-myself/398733/14 "2007-04-04T23:13:22Z")
[QUOTE=Scarlett67] “It’s your _father,_ and he’s been _DRINKING!!!_” A virtual chocolate fish goes to the first person who gets this reference. Mr. S loves it and lobs it at me all the time – the quote, not the fish. [/QUOTE] Stuart Smalley! I want a REAL chocolate fish. Or a drink. ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2007, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-received-a-phone-call-from-myself/398733/15 "2007-04-04T23:36:56Z")
On the TMobile network the voicemail box has an option to send a numeric page, but if the person leaving the page doesn’t have a clear caller ID signal it comes in as a call from your own number, which then leads back to voicemail. This is probably something similar–sorry to be so mundane! ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2007, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-received-a-phone-call-from-myself/398733/16 "2007-04-05T00:20:14Z")
[QUOTE=SmartAleq] On the TMobile network the voicemail box has an option to send a numeric page, but if the person leaving the page doesn’t have a clear caller ID signal it comes in as a call from your own number, which then leads back to voicemail. This is probably something similar–sorry to be so mundane! [/QUOTE] I’m sure that’s probably the case. The odd thing is that it’s never happened before, and I’ve received at least 2 such calls today. I’ll assume it’s somebody who’s network isn’t sending a proper ID signal or something like that. Either that or it’s bizzaro-davidm calling from dimension-X to warn me of an impending interdimensional attack on our universe and to give me plans for the transdimensional quantum multiverse hopper that I can use to repair reality and save the day, but I’ll assume the more mundane possibilities for now. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2007, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-received-a-phone-call-from-myself/398733/17 "2007-04-05T02:48:46Z")
[QUOTE=davidm] but I’ll assume the more mundane possibilities for now. [/QUOTE] Oh, fine, let the universe take care of itself, right? Not to worry! :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2007, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-received-a-phone-call-from-myself/398733/18 "2007-04-05T04:36:50Z")
[QUOTE=carnivorousplant] Oh, fine, let the universe take care of itself, right? Not to worry! :rolleyes: [/QUOTE] Okay, okay… If I get another call from myself I’ll answer it! ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2007, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-received-a-phone-call-from-myself/398733/19 "2007-04-05T05:51:22Z")
There are currently 4 Google ads at the bottom of this page. Three of them are for caller ID faking services. [ul] [li]“Fake Your Phone Caller ID”[/li][li]“Have Fun With Caller ID”[/li][li]“Fake The Phone Caller ID”[/li][/ul] We definitely need some laws. ---
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2007, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-received-a-phone-call-from-myself/398733/20 "2007-04-05T06:37:03Z")
[QUOTE=davidm] Yea, I thought of that line too. 😃 Of course in this case I know for a fact that I’m here alone. [/QUOTE] Yeah. Man, have you never seen a horror movie? They always know for a fact that they are alone! Tris [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-received-a-phone-call-from-myself/398733.md?page=2)