# Is this email about cell phone numbers going public true? Or a scam in and of itself? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 3, 2010, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-email-about-cell-phone-numbers-going-public-true-or-a-scam-in-and-of-itself/527566 "2010-02-03T19:14:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2010, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-email-about-cell-phone-numbers-going-public-true-or-a-scam-in-and-of-itself/527566/1 "2010-02-03T19:14:22Z")
I got this from a friend a rather trust: > [@](#): > > REMEMBER: Cell Phone Numbers Go Public next month. > > REMINDER… all cell phone numbers are being released to telemarketing companies and you will start to receive sales calls. > > … YOU WILL BE CHARGED FOR THESE CALLS … > > To prevent this, call the following number from your cell phone: > 888-382-1222. > It is the National DO NOT CALL list. It will only take a minute of your time. It blocks your number for five (5) years. You must call from the cell phone number you want to have blocked.. You cannot call from a different phone number.. > > HELP OTHERS BY PASSING THIS ON TO ALL YOUR FRIENDS… It takes about 20 seconds. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2010, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-email-about-cell-phone-numbers-going-public-true-or-a-scam-in-and-of-itself/527566/2 "2010-02-03T19:16:44Z")
> **[Humor & Whimsy](https://www.liveabout.com/humor-4687973)** > > Indulge your curiosity and have a little fun with these stories about the weird and the wonderful. With articles on aliens, cats, cartoons, and hoaxes, this collection is guaranteed boredom-basher. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2010, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-email-about-cell-phone-numbers-going-public-true-or-a-scam-in-and-of-itself/527566/3 "2010-02-03T19:17:39Z")
I’ve been getting emails like this for years. I always send the sender [Snopes reply.](http://www.snopes.com/politics/business/cell411.asp) ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2010, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-email-about-cell-phone-numbers-going-public-true-or-a-scam-in-and-of-itself/527566/4 "2010-02-03T19:27:08Z")
:eek: ☹ Crap, I got screwed too. I registered my cell phone a couple weeks ago. It was worded different. I had to call the number using the cell I was registering. It seemed legit. So what happens now? Should I call AT&T and get a new cell number? My mom & dad and several other relatives registered their phones too. Are we all on a spammers list now? ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2010, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-email-about-cell-phone-numbers-going-public-true-or-a-scam-in-and-of-itself/527566/5 "2010-02-03T20:37:21Z")
> [@](#): > > Cell Phone Numbers Go Public next month. Without a specific date, this is like those TV ads that say “and if you call withing the next 30 minutes, we’ll also…” when they have no way of knowing which of their many ad showings you were watching. They simply don’t know when this supposed 30 minutes should start. Likewise, what month is next month? With these things being forwarded to umpteen jillion people over a period of time that can easily be weeks, months, or years, “next month” is meaningless, and that’s a big clue that’s it’s horsecrap. It can still be horsecrap even if a specific date is mentioned, but without the date there’s no doubt about it. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2010, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-email-about-cell-phone-numbers-going-public-true-or-a-scam-in-and-of-itself/527566/6 "2010-02-03T20:46:26Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > :eek: ☹ > > Crap, I got screwed too. I registered my cell phone a couple weeks ago. It was worded different. I had to call the number using the cell I was registering. It seemed legit. > > So what happens now? Should I call AT&T and get a new cell number? My mom & dad and several other relatives registered their phones too. Are we all on a spammers list now? 888-382-1222 is the number for the National Do Not Call Registry, so you didn’t call a spammer. You just wasted some time and got all worried about nothing. Here’s your lesson: any time you get an e-mail that tells you to do something – forward the e-mail, delete a file from your computer, call your congressman about such-and-such a bill – **DON’T DO IT.** If for some reason you thing it might be legit, Google the hell out of it and satisfy yourself that you have the facts straight. I think you’ll find that an e-mail that originated who-knows-where, who-knows-when, and was forwarded to you is probably the least reliable information source in the world. It’s like listening to the half-drunk know-it-all at a bar who really knows nothing but is convinced otherwise. You’re smarter than that drunk, and you’re smarter than these e-mails. Don’t take their word for anything. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2010, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-email-about-cell-phone-numbers-going-public-true-or-a-scam-in-and-of-itself/527566/7 "2010-02-03T20:55:26Z")
> [@magellan01](#): > > Or a scam in and of itself? Not a scam but a hoax. Wastes your time, energy, and emotions if you fall for it. Makes you very annoying to other people if you foist it upon them. ETA: Which is to say, good for you (sincerely) for checking it out before buying into it. Hope that your trusted friend learns to do the same. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2010, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-email-about-cell-phone-numbers-going-public-true-or-a-scam-in-and-of-itself/527566/8 "2010-02-04T18:54:03Z")
I don’t think it was a hoax, in the sense that someone deliberately set out to deceive somebody. It was just a huge misunderstanding. I got the same email from an uncle yesterday, but I actually stopped to (a) check the Do Not Call Registry website (linked in the email!) and (b) check Snopes. Even the DNCR site stated that the email was mistaken. It’s basically a bunch of fallout from 2006 over a proposed \*\*opt-in \*\*cellphone **directory** , which would only be available to the directory operators. Some people got as far as “collecting a list of cellphone numbers” and their brains shut down, they started panicking, and they wrote emails like this one. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2010, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-email-about-cell-phone-numbers-going-public-true-or-a-scam-in-and-of-itself/527566/9 "2010-02-04T19:09:03Z")
> [@](#): > > … YOU WILL BE CHARGED FOR THESE CALLS … Er, how? If they are ringing you, why would you be charged? ---
**Author:** ![Baracus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/2bfe46/32.png) [@Baracus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baracus)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2010, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-email-about-cell-phone-numbers-going-public-true-or-a-scam-in-and-of-itself/527566/10 "2010-02-04T19:14:15Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > Er, how? If they are ringing you, why would you be charged? Because in the U.S., cell phone users are generally charged for all calls, whether out-going or in-coming. I am sure if you search you can find numerous threads on why it is that way, how it is stupid, how it is not stupid, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2010, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-email-about-cell-phone-numbers-going-public-true-or-a-scam-in-and-of-itself/527566/11 "2010-02-04T19:19:29Z")
> [@Baracus](#): > > Because in the U.S., cell phone users are generally charged for all calls, whether out-going or in-coming. I am sure if you search you can find numerous threads on why it is that way, how it is stupid, how it is not stupid, etc. I did not know that. (But yes, it is stupid 😉 ) ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2010, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-email-about-cell-phone-numbers-going-public-true-or-a-scam-in-and-of-itself/527566/12 "2010-02-04T19:53:05Z")
> [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#): > > I don’t think it was a hoax, in the sense that someone deliberately set out to deceive somebody. That might be the case, though I have my doubts. Nevertheless, given the aggravation that these false pronouncements generate, I don’t hold someone who’s too stupid and lazy to get their facts straight before originating one these e-mails in any higher regard than someone who knew it was false. It’s like the difference between someone who intentionally shoots you with a loaded gun and someone who shoots at you with a loaded gun but claims they thought it wasn’t loaded. The harm is the same either way, and there’s really no excuse for not knowing what the harm will be nor for failing to be certain what the situation is. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2010, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-email-about-cell-phone-numbers-going-public-true-or-a-scam-in-and-of-itself/527566/13 "2010-02-04T21:19:02Z")
[QUOTE=magellan’s link] HELP OTHERS BY PASSING THIS ON TO ALL YOUR FRIENDS… [/QUOTE] No matter what the rest of an e-mail says, if it says this it’s certain to be bogus. (If it uses ALL CAPS, raise the previous sentence to the fourth power.) ---
**Author:** ![Punoqllads](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@Punoqllads](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Punoqllads)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2010, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-email-about-cell-phone-numbers-going-public-true-or-a-scam-in-and-of-itself/527566/14 "2010-02-04T22:41:21Z")
When you see something like that, you could also Google the first line in the message. ---
**Author:** ![ChrisBooth12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@ChrisBooth12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChrisBooth12)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2010, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-email-about-cell-phone-numbers-going-public-true-or-a-scam-in-and-of-itself/527566/15 "2010-02-04T23:12:06Z")
Why would any one believe this? ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2010, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-email-about-cell-phone-numbers-going-public-true-or-a-scam-in-and-of-itself/527566/16 "2010-02-05T03:18:17Z")
> [@ChrisBooth12](#): > > Why would any one believe this? Every time I ask my sister this, she says “I wanted to stay on the safe side”. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2010, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-email-about-cell-phone-numbers-going-public-true-or-a-scam-in-and-of-itself/527566/17 "2010-02-05T04:37:17Z")
> [@NinetyWt](#): > > Every time I ask my sister this, she says “I wanted to stay on the safe side”. I had a cow-orker who used to say that and faithfully pass on any nonsense she received. Really, what is safe about falling for every ridiculous scam that comes along? I actually managed to get her to occasionally check Snopes. But I think she was disappointed when she was unable to “help” her friends by passing sundry hoaxes along to them. ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2010, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-email-about-cell-phone-numbers-going-public-true-or-a-scam-in-and-of-itself/527566/18 "2010-02-05T12:25:07Z")
You can register cell numbers on the DNC list and it doesn’t hurt to do so. I have gotten a few telemarketing calls on my cell that have stopped since I registered my phone. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2010, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-email-about-cell-phone-numbers-going-public-true-or-a-scam-in-and-of-itself/527566/19 "2010-02-05T14:21:32Z")
> [@ChrisBooth12](#): > > Why would any one believe this? I’m really hoping the OP comes back and gives his $.02 on this, to fight a little ignorance. I simply cannot fathom why people these days don’t automatically default to skepticism regarding advice in e-mails. It really gives me pause. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2010, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-email-about-cell-phone-numbers-going-public-true-or-a-scam-in-and-of-itself/527566/20 "2010-02-05T16:34:55Z")
> [@Gary\_T](#): > > Nevertheless, given the aggravation that these false pronouncements generate, I don’t hold someone who’s too stupid and lazy to get their facts straight before originating one these e-mails in any higher regard than someone who knew it was false. I don’t disagree. Ignorance, especially willful ignorance, can be just as (or more) damaging as pure malicious intent. In fact, it might even piss me off more–at least the malicious person was trying to hurt you; the ignorant person just didn’t bother to take the two seconds to not do it.