I keep getting odd calls...

Alright. For the past few months my house has been getting calls from people who show up on caller ID as "PRIVATE CALLER" "1-123-456-7890" "1-000-000-0000" and "OUT OF AREA." My mom is an artist, and every time I answer these calls, they ask me about her, or her art. One time, a person asked me several times if my mom had put "burning children" in her work. Most of the time, the calls go like this: (ME-Me, TH-them, the person on the other line. They usually have office sounds in the background, phones, printers, etc.)

ME: Hello?

TH: Hi. Is

I reall have no idea who they are, but have you tried useing *69?
might tell you something.
I dont know what all the *69 will do. It use to just call back the last person that called you. But you might want to ask the phone company before you try it, just to make sure or to find out what else it might do.

[edit on 26-10-2006 by RedGolem]

Anyone can spoof their number on your caller ID...

blog.tmcnet.com...

Who or why they're calling I can't tell ya...

The way in which they are masking their calls makes it so *69 would just try to call 1-000-000-0000. And I know that it could be more than one person doing the same thing, but why do they always ask the same questions?

Has your mother or anyone in your family ever been employed by the goverment.

Both of my grandfathers served in the military, but other than that I don't know. To the extent of my knowledge, nobody in my imediate family is in the employ of the government.

you can always *57 them immediately after each call. It's a three times you're out policy backed by the Telco's security and nearly all local law enforcement...

Even if they are not threatening. If it happens on such a frequent basis and you feel it is bordering on harassment...*57 them...create a paper trail.

At the very least you'll be able to find out who it is (IF you decide to press charges - if you do not agree to press formal charges you'll never know who it was - FOIA rules)...still it does create a paper trail and you will be able to get an open and active police file that can be added to if it continues.

If this is centered around your mother's art..

Maybe you should have a good look at her art. DOES your mother put burning children in her work?

Have you tried to ask your mother about who might be doing this...just thought I'd add this.

That call that keeps showing up is from the program SKYPE. It's a free internet calling program and when people call you their number shows up as 123-456-7890. Download the program and you'll see.

www.skype.com...


Still doesn't answer who's calling you though, but it's a start.

why don't you just get call blocking and block those numbers that call you. Sometimes out of state calls will show up like that on your caller ID.


Pie

1. *57? What exactly does that do?

2. There are no burning children in my mom's artwork-the piece they usually ask about had a child ON it, yes, and there was indeed fire-but the fire was at the opposite end of the sculpture.

3. Skype works like that, yes, but why would so many people (at least 1 or 2 per week-odd to get that many calls about the same thing from someone one does not know) be calling, using skype, about the same thing?

Is there anything I should say to them the next time the call, or just ignore 'em?

I am ever so curious now about your mother's work. Does she have a website?

We used to get calls like these but they were usually calls from a vendor that got our name when we registered to win something at a home show or something, instead of winning the big screen TV or car my wife would get a free tanning session or a month of free workouts . Do not call registry works and it takes only about a month before the calls stop.

Well you have to use it immediately after a harrassing call. Hang up with the annoyance call, dial *57...you'll get a tone of some sort to let you know it's been recorded. Hang up.

The security team in the local Telco - gets the record and keeps it in a database.

If and when 3 successful *57's are done and investigation is opened and you are contacted for more information.

Never done it personally...but even if the person is calling from Skype or VoIP an IP address is traceable just the same as a landline number.

Sounds like a bill collector to me...not that I would know!! uhhh.....just a guess

Originally posted by kleverone
Sounds like a bill collector to me...not that I would know!!

uhhh.....just a guess

ahahaha Yeah they are extremely wiley...even having personal names showing up on caller id to make it seem like a regular call.

Gyah, sorry it took me so long to get back. Life gets crazy sometimes.

Haven't gotten any of the odd calls lately, so perhaps whatever it was is over? I guess I'll never know...

Was it a man or a woman on the line? Did their voices sound at all altered?

If you're still about here wiseones, a few suggestions as to the reason......

- Your mother has or wants her artwork advertised or featured somewhere and people want to buy it or feature it.

- Your mother has struck up a friendship that she wishes to keep secret.

- Someone has seen you mothers artwork and taken offence to a piece that they believe has burning children in it. Maybe they've complained about it?????

- Debt collection etc

- None of the above!

Really, the only thing to do is to ask your mother why people should be calling and asking about her art.