Anyone else receive a strange phone call today? Possible attack on Toronto, ON?

reply to post by LadyGreenEyes

I have to disagree. The OP has NOTHING for proof, other than a log of a call from a private number. Cops gets reports all the time of things that are not real, are pranks, etc., and they can't possibly act on something this vague. It's worth noting that this fact is probably the best indicator that this was a prank call, as, unless it was VERY widespread, and many reported it, the police would not even bother to investigate. A comment posted online, of some threat, they can and will look into, but a call, with no number and no recording? Not likely. They would have nowhere to start, no evidence, no chance to prosecute, nothing. All they could do would be check out the person making the report.

All of this is fine and dandy. You go to the authorities and you say this: "I would like to report what I believe to be a prank call, but in the interest of public safety, I feel the need to relay this information." If they can act on it, they do, if they cannot they do not. At least a report was made.

See how easy that is?

As for your other statement:

Who here would want that?

Concerned people would want to do something that is good. Reporting this type of call, prank or no prank, is the good and right thing to do. Nobody should be engaged in these types of pranks.

Oh, lemme guess...you are the type who thinks it is funny to yell, "Fire," in a movie theater. Okay.

And this is why I got so harsh last night. Now some people are worried about their loved ones in Canada based on some alleged phone call someone received. I understood that the OP was asking if anyone else had received such a call. I wasn't that dense last night. But that wasn't my point. Along with asking if anyone else received such a call, the poster still put it out there to the ATS community that "hey also, the threat was a nuclear bomb, have a nice day". I'm sorry, but when someone comes claiming they received a threat of a nuclear attack on a major world city, I expect some modicum of evidence. To not provide such evidence, is wrong. Its not like the usual hoax thread of "I'm time traveler x from timeline z" but in fact, this is far more serious. I wouldn't post such a thing on any public board until I had done some kind of research into what happened myself. Its like yelling FIRE in a theater because some stranger whispered it in your ear and then disappeared.

And given the history of people with a very low post count, coming to post an extreme thing, like a nuclear attack, Im sorry, but 100% of them turn out to be unfounded or outright hoaxes.

So was I harsh and rude, yes. Do I apologize for that, yes. I was not in the best of moods last night. But I will not apologize for asking for proof to a claim of a nuclear threat.

I have no idea why that posted again /\

My laptop is being funky.

reply to post by bknapple32


Nice post. I agree. Kudos for apologizing concerning the tone, but everything you write is spot on. I really like the movie theater analogy. Used it myself, prior to reading this post of yours.

The good and right thing to do is to report this call to the authorities, prank or no prank. They can decide on the right course of action.

Originally posted by totallackey
reply to post by bknapple32

 

Nice post. I agree. Kudos for apologizing concerning the tone, but everything you write is spot on. I really like the movie theater analogy. Used it myself, prior to reading this post of yours.

The good and right thing to do is to report this call to the authorities, prank or no prank. They can decide on the right course of action.

I suppose the question for the op is... do you really want to be friends with people that would make that kind of a prank? I have some friends, myself included, who can be juvenile and immature... But none of us would make aprank like that. I don't get what is funny. And I'm not being the serious vice principal not understanding the kiddos these days. I just don't know anyone who would think "hey lets prank him saying were anonymous and were gonna nuke our city, that d be funny eh"

reply to post by bknapple32


You want proof?
His word is the "proof"
That's all we're going to get.

Have a Nice Day

reply to post by bknapple32


It is NOT funny.

To think, many of these members posting on this thread are the very same ones who believe the government can track every single phone call and absolutely KNOW what everyone is doing at all times...

Yet, when it comes to reporting receiving such a call, they suddenly believe the authorities would be helpless in determining the deal...

Such idiocy, it staggers the mind.

reply to post by DrGod


Telling someone who has heard there may be a nuclear attack within a few weeks to have a nice day is like

Hi,

I live about 45 min outside of Toronto. Yesterday my wife and I got 15 "private number" calls. We didn't answer any time. and only blank voice mails were left.

After the 5 or so I called my cell provider Rogers. They got back to me today and said I was hit by a internet phone number dialer that they can not trace.

OP are you on Rogers? They said I wasn't the first to call in and complain this weekend

reply to post by cavalryscout


It is not a branding or anything sinister. Rather they place a stencil against him and brush upwards to create the image. Takes all of one minute.

OP, if you are an *adult who is a responsible person*, you will report it, as suggested in other posts. So far no one has come forward with a similar experience, but if yours is valid and you were being honest, then please tell us what responsible action you have taken in response to this.

reply to post by aboutface


Taking the OP at face value, why would he report it?

There's literally nothing the police can do but file it away, and now the OP has an unnecessary encounter with law enforcement (always a bad idea).

Best advice, contact the cell service provider ask them to look into it and ask them to share the private number (probably won't happen), and then ask to block any calls coming from that particular private number. File it away as harassment - because technically that's what it is.

The world is not ending, the police have better things to do, and the OP doesn't need to be talking to the police for the heck of it.

Originally posted by DrGod
reply to post by bknapple32

 

You want proof?
His word is the "proof"
That's all we're going to get.

Have a Nice Day

Well, there was a day here where that wasnt good enough. I'd like to think those days are still here and will remain here. My mistake was my reaction without thinking. I attacked the op as a poster instead of explaining myself better.

Originally posted by Jason88
reply to post by aboutface

 

Taking the OP at face value, why would he report it?

There's literally nothing the police can do but file it away, and now the OP has an unnecessary encounter with law enforcement (always a bad idea).

Best advice, contact the cell service provider ask them to look into it and ask them to share the private number (probably won't happen), and then ask to block any calls coming from that particular private number. File it away as harassment - because technically that's what it is.

The world is not ending, the police have better things to do, and the OP doesn't need to be talking to the police for the heck of it.

But to play devils advocate. What if something did happen and he didn't report it? Now there is proof, and law enforcement will certainly make him or her a scapegoat .

reply to post by bknapple32


Fair play. Then tell a trusted friend or family members; direct that person to this thread. If he "disappears" or something odd happens, then the law can backtrack from what info he's already publicly shared on ATS.

It seems there's nothing proactively the police can do for him - they certainly don't have the manpower or budget to assign a risk assessment officer (or whatever the equivalent is in Canda) to him.

Besides if the threat were real there's no police left anyway. (It's not real).

reply to post by Jason88


Haha, no its not real. So fun little debate there. Time to be moving on from these here gray area parts... catch ya'll on the flip side.

Originally posted by koadie
Hello ATS, I would like to share an odd experience I had today. I was taking a break from work today, and went to go check my cell phone, when I noticed a phone call coming through. I had had my cell on silent, but just so happened to check the phone just as this call was coming through. The number was marked 'PRIVATE NUMBER' and I was a little confused and hesitant about answering it, but curiosity got the better of me and I decided to answer it
Upon answering the phone I was prompted by an automated message. The voice on the line was the same voice used by the internet hack group 'Anonymous'. The voice began by telling me that I should leave the city of Toronto, ON within the next week, in which time, the message claimed there would be an impending nuclear disaster. Upon hearing this, I was quite confused and wasnt quite sure what to make of the call I had just received.
At this point, I took the phone away from my face and tried putting it on speaker phone as there were other people in the room, and i wanted them to hear this. Unfortunately, because of either the quality of my speaker phone, or the noise in the room, I was unable to make out much of what i had put on speaker phone. I did manage to hear something about taking off my clothes or something similar and a mention of some sort of bunker.
Then the call just ended.
I have no idea what to make of this experience, it doesnt seem to have been any of my friends playing a prank on me, and if it is someone playing a prank, i cant think of who it possibly could be. This whole situation was very strange. Has anyone else on ATS experienced anything like this?

edit on 2-12-2012 by koadie because: (no reason given)

Story sounds made up. Sorry to judge. I have not drudged through the thread.

I do hope if you are telling tall tales that you are using anonymizing techniques online. Otherwise you are probably going to get some friendly visits from one or more intelligence agencies. Don't you know you can't go making shi* up like this in today's age?

Originally posted by Jason88
reply to post by aboutface

 

Taking the OP at face value, why would he report it?

Because he posted about a nuclear threat, and that is quite serious. If it is true that he received such a call, then he owes it to the rest of the population to report it, and yes, to the police, because they are the ones responsible for weeding out such threats.

I find your attitude about talking to cops surprising under the circumstances.

However, I just reread the OP and the part where he says he put it on speaker phone and something about removing his clothes makes me feel as if I've been conned by a school kid. So I'm outta here.

Originally posted by totallackey
reply to post by LadyGreenEyes

 

I have to disagree. The OP has NOTHING for proof, other than a log of a call from a private number. Cops gets reports all the time of things that are not real, are pranks, etc., and they can't possibly act on something this vague. It's worth noting that this fact is probably the best indicator that this was a prank call, as, unless it was VERY widespread, and many reported it, the police would not even bother to investigate. A comment posted online, of some threat, they can and will look into, but a call, with no number and no recording? Not likely. They would have nowhere to start, no evidence, no chance to prosecute, nothing. All they could do would be check out the person making the report.

All of this is fine and dandy. You go to the authorities and you say this: "I would like to report what I believe to be a prank call, but in the interest of public safety, I feel the need to relay this information." If they can act on it, they do, if they cannot they do not. At least a report was made.

See how easy that is?

As for your other statement:

Who here would want that?

Concerned people would want to do something that is good. Reporting this type of call, prank or no prank, is the good and right thing to do. Nobody should be engaged in these types of pranks.

Oh, lemme guess...you are the type who thinks it is funny to yell, "Fire," in a movie theater. Okay.

Resorting to an ad hominem attack? Really? I stated several reasons why a report would be either useless or worse than useless, and you attack me? Try addressing those reasons. Then, and only then, will I bother responding.

reply to post by aboutface


No need to get up & arms - yes, they asked him to take off his clothes. And yes, nuclear secrets are Above Top Secret; this whole thing is a joke. And my attitude about cops... well let's just say there's no need to engage with them under such silly circumstances.

Not being rude, just trying to be clear & concise on this topic. (I do have a sense of humor somewhere though).

reply to post by koadie


if they unlisted their number and didnt use their real voice id guess a prank, so that way if you report their harder to find