Community Chat

[Annabellethecat66]

So, you guys have read my posts about robo calls, etc.

I recently posted that my friend that lives nearby received a phone call on her house phone while I was talking to her and it said it was from someone we both know.

She said, "Hold on" and she answered it.  When she came back to me on her cell phone she said it was someone selling Visa credit cards.

Now, think of this.  Whomever the sales person was had to have found out that she'd answer because they had to know she'd recognize the person's name and phone number.

Yet, her cell phone can't get text messages (it's an old flip phone) and she doesn't email anyone but immediate family.  None of us knows her email address.

My point?  Where or how were these sales people able to connect these two people?  She has spoken to this other person in probably 1 year.  He even has a different zip code.

So, today I answered my cell phone and it was my friend I'd been texting with.  

I said, "Hello?"  No answer!  I kept saying, "Hello (let's call her Susan)  Susan...are you there?  Did you just butt dial me".

So, I called her house phone.  On my cell phone I could hear her house phone ringing....

She answered it.  She said she didn't call me that her phone was in another part of the house and she was up in her attic.

Now, you tell me how that happened?  That's not 'ghosting' this is something totally different.

Put this together.  This phone called me and connected the two of us.  I could have listened to everything going on in her house without her even knowing it.

That line would have stayed open indefinitely had I not called her to tell her what had happened!

I think that's really scary that it can happen.  She said her cell phone did not show that the line was open!

[fthunt]

Yesterday (Sunday) I had two landline calls to me from me.  It's happened in the past......the dumb bunny doing the call programming must get confused between the phone he's calling FROM to the going out call number.

Stupid

[x Hedge]

   ✂   snip ...

[bmorechick]

That is just too weird. I cut out my landline and only have cell phones, but get all kinds of calls from robo and spam. I got one the other night from Pakistan on the caller ID. Seriously?  I never ever answer it if I do not recognize the number.  That’s creepy stuff and I would love to know how that happens.

[mspatmac]

My daughter used to butt dial me and yes, I could hear everything,  Of course I would hang right up and text her.I did the same to her once or twice too.  No more phone in jeans back pocket solved our problem.  

[catwhisperer]

I recently got rid of my landline due to all harassing robo calls. Friends and relatives keep pressuring me to get a smart phone. (I have a tracfone flip phone). I do not get any robo calls on it. I am hearing so much on the news and on these boards about hacking and robo calls on smart phones, I don't think I want one. I don't use a phone much, so am thinking I should just keep using my flip phone. I'm confused.

[Neetgal2]

I have had a smart phone for 4 and a half years.  I have registered my number with Do not Call.  I never had annoying calls on the flip phone but with grand children we have to face time so my kids got me a Snart Phine!  Once I use my phone, within about 2 minutes I get a call about "my credit card" from a phone number matching my area code and three digit prefix!  I now ignore them.  I have downloaded an app through the carrier and I feel most scam calls have stopped, other than these.  I just find it frightening that as soon as I use my phone, the annoying call comes.

[SouthernBee]

@Annabellethecat66 : Twilight Zone?!!! Tonight received a call from myself and DH - that was a first and of course - didn't answer.Southern Bee

[Annabellethecat66]

@SouthernBee  And how frustrating is it that what you experienced now has a name...”ghosting”.

What my friend and I experienced is something entirely new...doesn’t have a “name” yet.

It is really an intrusion if you think about it.

I could have intruded into her house (and life) and she wouldn’t have known it until she picked up her phone to use it, I guess.

She went to her phone and it didn’t show that it was “open”.

I immediately broke off that connection ( the cell phone) and continued talking to her on her landline phone.

So we were talking landline to landline...

And that’s one reason I will keep that landline phone as long as possible.

[Annabellethecat66]

@catwhisperer  My other friend has a very old flip phone.  No pictures, no texts.

She STILL gets robo calls....but she can’t block them like I can at least do.