Any funny/memorable wrong calls, prank calls or scam calls you've gotten?

[Prowler]

We all get those from time to time, so I was wondering if any stood out in particular to you.

There was this one time in the morning where I got woken up by a phone call by a 60 year old or so sounding man telling me a about his car getting toed. I was still half asleep, so I asked him to repeat himself. He said it again that his car got toed. I then said "I see, but why are a you telling me this, sir?" and then he realised he dialed the wrong number. He apologised and I told him not to worry about it since dialing the wrong number is an honest mistake that can happen to anyone.

This call wasn't particularly funny, but I do wonder from time to time if the poor old guy ever got his car back.

Prank calls, I recall WAY back in 2002 or so someone calling our house around midnight on New Year's Eve. My grandma picked up the phone and heard someone say "I broke my glasses!" immediately followed up by people in the background laughing for a couple of seconds and hanging up the phone afterwards. This worried my grandma since my older brother had gone out with his friends to celebrate New Year's and my brother also happens to wear glasses, so my grandmother was worried it might have been him. But turns out it wasn't. So we realised it must have been a stupid prank call by drunk young people, which I guess are common on New Year's Eve.

As for scam calls, I don't think I've ever dealt with one myself. But tbh I don't get a lot of calls, and when I do I rarely pick up the phone unless I recognise the number or am waiting for an important call. Most of the time it's just telemarketing or surveys, which I'm not interested in answering.

What about you?

[FredWolfLeonardo]

I have recieved many calls from "Microsoft Tech Support".

Always some man with a thick Indian accent.

Since I can speak their language, I typically follow their instructions until a certain point before they can gain access to my files, then reprimand them in their own tongue.

They curse for a while, then hang up.

[Andrew NDB]

I don't answer the phone when someone I know calls me, let alone weird scam numbers.

For a while a little ways back, though, I was friends with April O'Neil (the porn star) on Facebook for many months. She went through liking all of my pictures and chatting it up with me for several weeks... until I deduced it was a 100% FAKE account.

[Prowler]

Originally Posted by FredWolfLeonardo

I have recieved many calls from "Microsoft Tech Support".

Always some man with a thick Indian accent.

Since I can speak their language, I typically follow their instructions until a certain point before they can gain access to my files, then reprimand them in their own tongue.

They curse for a while, then hang up.

Oh haha that scam call is infamous all over Europe. Never got one of those though. I bet you have fun trolling them.

Originally Posted by Andrew NDB

I don't answer the phone when someone I know calls me, let alone weird scam numbers.

For a while a little ways back, though, I was friends with April O'Neil (the porn star) on Facebook for many months. She went through liking all of my pictures and chatting it up with me for several weeks... until I deduced it was a 100% FAKE account.

I don't really have a lot of people I'm close to irl, so very few have my phone number. And nowadays with social media and such, I never feel the need to call someone when I can just DM them for free. Plus, I HATE having to talk on the phone outside. The background noise makes it a pain.

LOL no offence, but how did it take you so long to realise it was a fake account? Were you new to FB or something?

[IndigoErth]

The only prank one I was at least there for was a co-worker picking up the phone (previous job) and supposedly some guy was just breathing heavy like a weirdo. She told me and goes "Here, listen to this." Ah, nooo... I passed on that offer. lol

These days we don't even bother to pick up the phone unless we know it's someone we're familiar with (and wish to speak to them at that moment) or a company we're waiting for a call from. We've gotten the scammers now and then that leave a recorded message, but haven't picked up the phone to any.


Only other weird one I've had was way back in middle school, though I doubt it was a prank of any kind. Some guy called and I guess asked for someone of my first name so my mom gets me on the phone. TWICE I ask this guy who I was talking to and he sounded slightly confused, asking me what was wrong. I don't recall his name, but I didn't know anyone by that name, but at that age I was just a shy kid who was mostly speechless wondering what the hell was going on. He didn't even sound my age... young, but maybe more like high school, if not early college.

I have long imagined he may have later asked a friend/girlfriend what was up the night before only to be told he hadn't called her. But even if it was a case of right name, wrong phone number... why didn't I SOUND wrong to him??

It still weirds me out slightly because I will never have a clue what that call even was. lol

[Wesley]

There was one funny call nearly a decade ago when a man phoned from Pakistan asking “Where is the tig”? I said “Do you mean the pig”? He then apologized and hung up. He was probably trying to call the Pakistani takeaway.

Reminded me of the calls Hyacinth used to get from the Chinese takeaway in the tv show Keeping Up Appearances.

[Andrew NDB]

Originally Posted by Prowler

LOL no offence, but how did it take you so long to realise it was a fake account? Were you new to FB or something?

Certainly not, but the thing was... I sent the REAL one a friend request eons before, but I then I think she shut it down at some point and opened up a fan page instead... but I didn't know that yet. I just figured the real one was finally getting around to my friend request and didn't give it another thought.

[Prowler]

Originally Posted by Andrew NDB

Certainly not, but the thing was... I sent the REAL one a friend request eons before, but I then I think she shut it down at some point and opened up a fan page instead... but I didn't know that yet. I just figured the real one was finally getting around to my friend request and didn't give it another thought.

Oh in that case I can see why it took you a while to catch it.

[Leo656]

Totally unrelated, but that reminds me of how weird it is that me and Eric Bischoff are friends on Facebook.

Same thing, I sent him a request a long time ago, shot in the dark... then like a year went by and he finally accepted it, long after I'd forgotten about it. Difference is that it's actually him. At first I wasn't sure because we have very few mutual friends, but then I remembered most people in "The Biz" don't care much for him, at least now most of the people I'm friendly with.

He's a genuine Dude, though. Our paths cross extremely rarely but he's a class act in my book.

[Prowler]

Originally Posted by Leo656

Totally unrelated, but that reminds me of how weird it is that me and Eric Bischoff are friends on Facebook.

Same thing, I sent him a request a long time ago, shot in the dark... then like a year went by and he finally accepted it, long after I'd forgotten about it. Difference is that it's actually him. At first I wasn't sure because we have very few mutual friends, but then I remembered most people in "The Biz" don't care much for him, at least now most of the people I'm friendly with.

He's a genuine Dude, though. Our paths cross extremely rarely but he's a class act in my book.

I don't understand people who take ages to accept a friend request on FB. It's like they're trying to make people think they're so popular, important and busy that they have to cycle through hundreds of different FRs until they find yours. Well, maybe someone like Bischoff does. He seems like the type who knows a lot of people.

[MsMarvelDuckie]

I have a few authors on mine. Elaine Cunningham, Margaret Weis, and RA Salvatore, among others. Mostly I follow their posts on current projects, although a few of them also post social and political stuff I like.

The most memorable "wrong number" I ever had was shortly after I got my own phone line while still living at home in high school. A guy was trying to call the previous owner of the number, but apparently decided I was more interesting to call. Turned into a phone "stalker", always calling late in the evening, long after I had politely (and then not so politely) told him to stop. So I started unplugging my phone after a certain time of day, or just keeping it unplugged unless I was expecting a call or calling a friend. He eventually got the message. It was creepy though.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

I got some e-mail between around 2007–2008:

Do you want to enlarge your thing?

[Prowler]

Originally Posted by Original TMNT Cartoon Fan

I got some e-mail between around 2007–2008:

Do you want to enlarge your thing?

That late? Those e-mails were way more common in 2001-2004 or so. I don't recall getting any as late as 2007-2008 anymore. And for the record I was still using hotmail at the time.

Hotmail was full of spam chain-mails and fishing mails. "Send this e-mail to 20 of your contacts or else we'll delete your account".

Ah the good old Hotmail and MSN Messenger days. Anyone born in 1988-1992 used MSN at some point in their teenage years. I still remember some cringe-worthy usernames a few of my classmates would have at the time. Usually ti was some sort of love declaration for their bf/gf whom they began dating with a couple of weeks before only.

Teenage love is truly a strange a thing. Although I notice love between people aged 18-22 can be quite cringe-worthy as well.

[Candy Kappa]

I got a lot of calls from "Windows" when it was running rampant. Had a lot of fun with them, like playing dumb and stringing them along.

Had a conversation where I denied I had a computer, I had a Mac and right away I was switched to the Windows' Mac support, but oh no. I don't have a Mac, I have a iPad and then it's not a iPad it's a iPhone, oh sorry it's a iPod.

[snake]

I love that, CK. That's probably the best thing I read all day.

[FredWolfLeonardo]

Why is there always a Russian single living within walking distance to me?

[Prowler]

Originally Posted by FredWolfLeonardo

Why is there always a Russian single living within walking distance to me?

Is that a Tinder scam or something?

[FredWolfLeonardo]

Originally Posted by Prowler

Is that a Tinder scam or something?

I don't use Tinder myself, but I have seen it appear a lot, while randomly browsing the Internet.

Usually, its the pictures of the same 4-5 caucasian women, with the text reading:

"Hot single Russian babes living near your area, sign up to get in touch with them today!"

[Prowler]

Originally Posted by FredWolfLeonardo

I don't use Tinder myself, but I have seen it appear a lot, while randomly browsing the Internet.

Usually, its the pictures of the same 4-5 caucasian women, with the text reading:

"Hot single Russian babes living near your area, sign up to get in touch with them today!"

Ah well, I have uBlock origin, so I don't see ads.

[Coola Yagami]

I got the one where the IRS has a warrant out on me and unless I buy a gift card, put 50 bucks on it and give them the card numbers, they won't be able to stop the warrants.

I also had Asuka (the wrestler) add me on Insta and talk to me. I knew it was fake but played a long and we had a normal conversation that evening. The next morning she told me she needed me to buy her an iTunes card. I'm like 'that's cute hun, but the real Asuka could buy out the story if she wanted', and that was that.