Has Anyone Else Had This Problem?
@danishcanadian (28955)
Canada
January 15, 2010 6:53pm CST
While sitting at the cafe this afternoon I got a text message asking who the person was talking to. Not recognizing the number, I shot back "who are you looking for?" Once again it happened, and I texted back "I won't say unless I know why you're contacting me." When I got home it happened once more, so I called the number using my husband's Vonage phone, since calling on my cellphone or on the house phone was going to give the person my number, and possibly my name. I did not want to do that. Also calling on my cellphone would have cost me money.
So I called him on my husband's VOIP, and very nicely mentioned that the number had been texting my cellphone all afternoon, and what was going on. It was an older gentleman who dind't seem to know what was going on (I mean dind't know the technology that well. He sounded sharp enough and his mind was OK). He asked how I got his number, and I explained to him that when text messages showed up on my cellphone, so did his number, and after about four messages, I was wondering what was going on. Maybe someone was using his phone.
Anyway, he was very nice and said he'd look into it. We'll see what happens.
What was strange was that neither of us seemed to have initiated it. He thought I was initiating it, when I was merely responding and wanting to know what was going on, and I thought he was initating it since a message from him (or his phone) was what got things going.
Again, he seemed nice enough, and I was police, and it looks like the problem was solved.
But have you ever had a problem like this?
How did it start?
How did it end?
How did you react?
3 people like this
12 responses
@GardenGerty (160952)
• United States
21 Jan 10
I wonder if there is some way the electrical circuits or the wireless circuits get crossed somehow. I wonder if some types of weather would affect the signal and cause "bounce". I do not know enough to know.
@GardenGerty (160952)
• United States
21 Jan 10
I do not text or receive texts. We do have a certain number showing up at our house on Caller ID that says it is a Home Plus type Care Home. No one was on the phone when he would answer. My husband looked it up online. When he contacted their main office, they said they were not calling us, and they are looking in to why someone would be hijacking their number. We still get the occasional call from them.
@jillhill (37354)
• United States
17 Jan 10
I have never had something like this happen....but I have suddenly had telemarketers calling me on my cell..and that upsets me.....I know they made cell phone numbers public here a few months ago....and I dont think that was a good idea....I really don't like the fact that strangers have my number!
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
16 Jan 10
That is weird. I've had wrong numbers before, but never where they thought I had started it. I did have one that I called back and told them it was a wrong number and they didn't remember calling me at first, but eventually they did.
I don't suppose he had a young grandson who was playing pranks?
1 person likes this
@lordwarwizard (35747)
• Singapore
16 Jan 10
I think numbers whose lines get canceled go into the common pool for new allocation after some time... so it is not that rare to get a stranger call from a number you thought you knew.
1 person likes this
@Buchi_bulla (8298)
• India
16 Jan 10
Not exactly like this. One day at 10.00 Pm, a call came to my mobile. When I said hello, he kept quiet. Then an sms with some love message came from that number. I deleted it. It continued for six messages. In the middle of the night a call came from that number. It continued next day also. Then my husband attended the call. It was a youngster's voice. He said he liked my voice and wanted to just talk two lines with me. My husband scolded him nicely and kept the phone. But it continued. Then my husband during day time, called this number and somebodyelse attended. He looked decent by voice. Then he said his phone was with his friend for two three days and asked to forgive and then it ended.
@rameshkumaar57 (5908)
• India
16 Jan 10
A weird thing is happening in my cell phone. I keep receiving message alert, but when I open the message box, there is no message.When I tried to contact the number either the call does not go or there is no answer from the other side. I have tried it will different numbers, but till now there is no answer from the other side.Till now, it is continuing, and it has not ended.
@lordwarwizard (35747)
• Singapore
16 Jan 10
Hi danishcanadian,
Oh yes, quite a few times interesting.
Some ended well (though not as "well" as progressing into real friendship) where we parted and said farewell on a friendly note.
I remember a few where the "spam" only stopped after I threatened to report him/her to the police for harassment.
@zandi458 (28102)
• Malaysia
16 Jan 10
It happened to me many times when I get unfamiliar numbers calling my phone or receive weird messages. Some people have too much time in their hands that they just like to create nuisance on others. But some have genuinely made a mistake by unconsciously pressing one wrong digit of their friend's number which landed on someone's cell phone. I have done that many times and when I realized that I got the wrong number when I hear the unfamiliar receiver, I quickly ask for apology.
@Logan3745 (302)
• United States
16 Jan 10
Ive had that problem with each new phone i get. Normally i just ignore it.
