For the last six weeks I’ve been getting phone calls on my cell phone from someone with an 800 number. I have allowed my voice message box to handle these calls; the message they leave is something on the order of “You must return this call immediately. Refer to reference number-------.” I have no intention of returning any call of this nature, but I’m baffled by what it is about. So far as I know, my boss, my wife, and my sister are the only people in the world who have my cell phone number. If anyone has any ideas as to what this is about, I would appreciate hearing them.
Thanks.
Probably an auto dialler has tried your number and found that it exists.
If you ring them they will charge you for their ‘service’
IMO ‘pay to call’ should be abolished
Looks like a collection agency has your number. They may be looking for a debtor or information on a debtor you may know (relative, etc.) The calls will stop in about 6-8 weeks if you don’t all them back, but may start up again when the debt changes hands to another agency. You could call them back from another line and tell them you just got the number and have no knowledge of whomever they’re calling about.
Your cellphone number is available through pay services like Accurint/Lexis; make sure you haven’t posted it on the internet at some point as well, you’d be surprised.
The local VA hospital has my cellphone number for some former patient and I get their appointment verification calls. I’ve given up trying to get my number removed, their system only goes by ssn’s which I obviously don’t have the former phone owner’s at my disposal. :rolleyes:
You can also try doing a google or a reverse phone number search for it. I’ve been able to track down who phone numbers belong to that way.
I suspected a debt collector; since I have no unpaid bills I just ignored the call. If it is a debt collector, they well could be looking for a previous owner of my number. Indecisive, I’ll give your suggestion a try. Thanks.
I received something similar from my cell phone provider. The message said " In order to prevent a possible interruption in service you must return this call…etc."
So when I called the number, I spoke with a customer service rep who checked my account and said, " well, I don’t see anything wrong on your account, but it does look like you’re due for a phone upgrade…" and proceeded with a sales pitch.
:mad:
Yes, this is what it is. We have a home phone number that used to belong to another woman who has many debt collectors looking for her. We get a lot of calls for her, and many like you describe. It sucks because this is the only number they have for her and no one believes us when we say this isn’t her number anymore, they think we are just trying to make excuses not to talk to them.
I actually called back one of those numbers before and went through a whole automated system. I finally got ahold of a person and they said they would take our number off the list, but we still get calls like that. I don’t know if they are from the same place or not, she has many collectors trying to get her.
Mr. Stuff, a few years ago, got a different cell phone number. Apparently, it had been the number of a contractor who took people’s money and then disappeared. He got call after call from screaming people who would not believe that he was not the jerk who took their money. He finally went to the cell phone store and begged for a new number. They gave him one that had never been used before. Peace ensued. It was a pain to get his new cell phone number to all the people that need it, but so worth it.
If things get bad enough, beg for a virgin number!
What reason would someone have to call the number back, other than maybe just curiosity? If they can’t send you something in writing it must not be that important.
Or alternatively they could be chasing a debt owed by someone with a similar name to yours.
You should put all your phones on the government’s National Do Not Call Registry.
It’s free, easy, and stops most callers for years. Not sure about debt collectors, but it will save you some other calls.