# Strange text messages **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 19, 2017, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-text-messages/794092 "2017-08-19T15:23:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Patx2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/73ab20/32.png) [@Patx2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patx2)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2017, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-text-messages/794092/1 "2017-08-19T15:23:01Z")
This morning around 10:00, I picked up my cellphone and saw there were 3 text messages that I hadn’t realized came through. Anyway, the gist of the texts were that my post mate, Barry was at my door with a delivery and that he would wait 5 minutes. The last text said the package had been delivered. The phone number was a 415 area code which is somewhere in California. I’m on the east coast. The messages came in around 6:15 this morning. Any ideas what this was about? Wrong number? But if it was 6 in the morning my time it would’ve been 3 on the other coast. Who gets deliveries at 3 or 6 in the morning? Was it some sort of scam? I’ve gotten scam calls and texts but nothing like this and never 3 in a row. What kind of scam would that be anyway? I just thought it was bizarre. ---
**Author:** ![Patx2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/73ab20/32.png) [@Patx2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patx2)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2017, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-text-messages/794092/2 "2017-08-19T16:48:44Z")
Mystery solved. I mentioned it to my daughter and she said Postmate is a food delivery service in some areas. They do restaurant delivery. We don’t have them where we live so I wasn’t familiar with it. ---
**Author:** ![Oredigger77](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oredigger77/32/3181_2.png) [@Oredigger77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oredigger77)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2017, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-text-messages/794092/3 "2017-08-24T17:18:45Z")
Some how my number has been added to a group text for what appears to be RAs for a college somewhere. They send out scheduling and meeting appointments. I haven’t responded because it’s still making me chuckle that some poor kid that is one digit off my phone number is probably getting in a ton of trouble for missing everything. ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2017, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-text-messages/794092/4 "2017-08-24T19:14:56Z")
My number has been erroneously used in a couple of Craig’s list ads. The first was someone selling a camper and people were texting me to ask the dimensions. I played along and said it could sleep 6 but those 6 had to really like each other. The second time people were texting me about the kittens I was giving away. I just never answered those. ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2017, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-text-messages/794092/5 "2017-08-24T20:33:01Z")
I just got a text today addressing me as “Diana”, and telling me that I was a valued Amazon customer, blah blah blah, get a gift card if you click on this _totally_ non-suspicious link. :rolleyes: I suppose if you mass text enough people, some of them are bound to be named Diana. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2017, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-text-messages/794092/6 "2017-08-24T21:39:18Z")
Mystery solved but area codes don’t really mean squat these days. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2017, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-text-messages/794092/7 "2017-08-24T22:25:43Z")
> [@Oredigger77](#): > > Some how my number has been added to a group text for what appears to be RAs for a college somewhere. They send out scheduling and meeting appointments. I haven’t responded because it’s still making me chuckle that some poor kid that is one digit off my phone number is probably getting in a ton of trouble for missing everything. Why would that make you chuckle? Please just let them know! ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Patx2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/73ab20/32.png) [@Patx2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patx2)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2017, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-text-messages/794092/8 "2017-08-24T22:40:07Z")
> [@Grrr](#): > > Mystery solved but area codes don’t really mean squat these days. Good point