# "Only person in this conference" call?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/only-person-in-this-conference-call/761313>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 30, 2016, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/only-person-in-this-conference-call/761313 "2016-07-30T18:23:40Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Anny\_Middon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bc79bd/32.png) [@Anny\_Middon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anny_Middon)\
**Post date:** [July 30, 2016, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/only-person-in-this-conference-call/761313/1 "2016-07-30T18:23:40Z")

</div>

I have two landlines – one for my business and one personal. Despite having listed it on the Do Not Call registry, I get a lot of junk calls on the business line.

I just got a call on my business line from a local number that I did not recognize. Caller ID listed it as Wireless Caller. Despite it being Saturday, I answered. A voice told me, “Currently you are the only person in this conference.” Then there was silence. After a few seconds I hung up.

Since conference calls often start out like this, I’m wondering if this was a screw-up (I haven’t been invited for any conference calls in months), or a spam call. If a spam call, what was the point?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\
**Post date:** [July 30, 2016, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/only-person-in-this-conference-call/761313/2 "2016-07-30T18:35:17Z")

</div>

WebEx has a thing where if you log in to a meeting, you can have it call either your desk phone, or a different # which you type in. Sounds like someone typed in your number by mistake, and was the first one to log in to the meeting.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\
**Post date:** [July 30, 2016, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/only-person-in-this-conference-call/761313/3 "2016-07-30T18:36:56Z")

</div>

Easily a wrong number for a conference call. A spammer or anyone might be using a computer phone that responds that way if you answer and he has hung up. The spammer may have found some convenient way of using a conference feature to get multiple calls started and then jumps on the first answer leaving you alone in a conference. Even if it’s a spammer it could easily be a mistake.