Just had the weirdest wrong number call

[bassman1185]

About 20 minutes ago, I'm at work, minding my own business, and I feel my cell phone buzz me. I look at the screen, and I don't recognize the number or the area code (228). Here's pretty much how the conversation went down:

Me: Hi, this is Zeb.
Caller (THICK southern accent, and sounding pissed): Mr. Kershaw?
Me: No, sorry, I think you have the wrong number.
Caller: No, I DON'T.
Me: I'm sorry, who are you looking for?
Caller: (garbled) Kershaw. You flew out of Biloxi yesterday.
Me: Sorry man, my name is Zeb (My last name), and I live in Iowa.
Caller: Well, this is the number on the check. How do you explain that?
Me (thinking he must have punched a wrong button on his phone): What? What number is on the check?
Caller: (reads off MY phone number)
Me: I don't know man, there must be some sort of mistake.
Caller: How can that be? This is the number on the check.
Me: I don't know, man, that's my phone number but I'm not the guy you're looking for.

After that, I jumped online and looked up the 228 area code, which, sure enough, includes Biloxi, Mississippi. About ten minutes later I got another call from the same number. I almost didn't answer, but I decided to try to get whatever was going on straightened out. It was the same guy, who immediately apologized and explained the situation.

It turns out that somebody named Pauly (I think) Kershaw wrote this dude a check and skipped town. The check bounces, so the guy, understandably pissed, calls the number on the check, which is a direct line to my left pocket.

So, I guess there is somebody out there writing bad checks with my phone number on them. Hopefully this won't happen again, and if anyone named Kershaw tries to pay any of you with a check, don't take it.

[NJL]

dude, now THAT'S a real drag!!!

[sarcastro83]

man, that is wierd!!! Should I ever find Pauly Kershaw indebted to me, I'll be sure to slap him in the mouth for you.

After I take my payment in cash, or course...

[NJL]

is the victim still calling you??

maybe he's trying to Uncle Scam you?? LOL

[bassman1185]

Originally Posted by NJL

is the victim still calling you??

maybe he's trying to Uncle Scam you?? LOL

Nahh, he just called to explain what was happening, and asked if I had any idea who this guy was. I kind of figure that the Kershaw guy must have planned on writing some bad checks or something and just put down random numbers for the phone number.

[RED5]

Originally Posted by bassman1185

About 20 minutes ago, I'm at work, minding my own business, and I feel my cell phone buzz me. I look at the screen, and I don't recognize the number or the area code (228). Here's pretty much how the conversation went down:

Me: Hi, this is Zeb.
Caller (THICK southern accent, and sounding pissed): Mr. Kershaw?
Me: No, sorry, I think you have the wrong number.
Caller: No, I DON'T.
Me: I'm sorry, who are you looking for?
Caller: (garbled) Kershaw. You flew out of Biloxi yesterday.
Me: Sorry man, my name is Zeb (My last name), and I live in Iowa.
Caller: Well, this is the number on the check. How do you explain that?
Me (thinking he must have punched a wrong button on his phone): What? What number is on the check?
Caller: (reads off MY phone number)
Me: I don't know man, there must be some sort of mistake.
Caller: How can that be? This is the number on the check.
Me: I don't know, man, that's my phone number but I'm not the guy you're looking for.

After that, I jumped online and looked up the 228 area code, which, sure enough, includes Biloxi, Mississippi. About ten minutes later I got another call from the same number. I almost didn't answer, but I decided to try to get whatever was going on straightened out. It was the same guy, who immediately apologized and explained the situation.

It turns out that somebody named Pauly (I think) Kershaw wrote this dude a check and skipped town. The check bounces, so the guy, understandably pissed, calls the number on the check, which is a direct line to my left pocket.

So, I guess there is somebody out there writing bad checks with my phone number on them. Hopefully this won't happen again, and if anyone named Kershaw tries to pay any of you with a check, don't take it.

Hmmm? I get spurious calls on my cell from time to time, so I tried just on a whim to call my number. Some guy picks up and I can hear a little kid in the background and some other noise, like it's dinner? I ask who it is and he hangs up. I tried to redial and I got a busy signal.. which came over as a missed call. I dunno.

[hbarcat]

I recently got a new cell phone and a new number to go with it and almost immediately I started getting calls from collection agencies looking for a guy named Elmer something. To the first couple of agencies I explained that this was a new cell phone number to me and that I had no idea who Elmer was but different places kept calling and I tried to just not answer them but of course they left countless messages and so I had to keep explaining the same story to each place.

I still get these calls about once every couple of weeks. Some of them are suspicious that I am really Elmer or that I'm protecting him and they insist on asking a whole lot of redundant questions before they agree to remove my phone number from their file.

[MatticusMania]

Originally Posted by hbarcat

I recently got a new cell phone and a new number to go with it and almost immediately I started getting calls from collection agencies looking for a guy named Elmer something. To the first couple of agencies I explained that this was a new cell phone number to me and that I had no idea who Elmer was but different places kept calling and I tried to just not answer them but of course they left countless messages and so I had to keep explaining the same story to each place.

I still get these calls about once every couple of weeks. Some of them are suspicious that I am really Elmer or that I'm protecting him and they insist on asking a whole lot of redundant questions before they agree to remove my phone number from their file.

A few years ago I bought my (now ex) wife a cell phone for her birthday. After a few months she kept getting a call from some random number asking for a David Rodriguez or something, saying he owed $800 on a cell phone bill. She & I both tried multiple times to explain to them that we had no idea who he was, and that this was a new cell phone. They stopped for a few months, and then they started back up again... I dont talk to her anymore, but I wonder if she still gets those calls...

[KeithBMI]

I get phone calls from drunk people every weekend. I asked the guy on the other end where he was and he said that he was in some southern state. (I forgot the exact one)

I guess my number is carved into some bar somewhere in the south.

[hbarcat]

Originally Posted by KeithBMI

I get phone calls from drunk people every weekend. I asked the guy on the other end where he was and he said that he was in some southern state. (I forgot the exact one)

I guess my number is carved into some bar somewhere in the south.

I (almost) hesitate to ask this, but what do they say when they call?

[Kruton]

Hey my area code is 228. I live in Ocean Springs, right next to Biloxi.

Maybe it was me who called you.




You will pay Kershaw, don't think you are fooling me...

[Jeff K]

Originally Posted by hbarcat

I recently got a new cell phone and a new number to go with it and almost immediately I started getting calls from collection agencies looking for a guy named Elmer something. To the first couple of agencies I explained that this was a new cell phone number to me and that I had no idea who Elmer was but different places kept calling and I tried to just not answer them but of course they left countless messages and so I had to keep explaining the same story to each place.

I still get these calls about once every couple of weeks. Some of them are suspicious that I am really Elmer or that I'm protecting him and they insist on asking a whole lot of redundant questions before they agree to remove my phone number from their file.

After retiring about a year ago, I needed to get a cell phone. (Having been in law enforcement, I didn't really need a second cell phone until after I retired.) Anyway, I get my new phone/number, and just like you, I started getting calls right away.

But the kicker was, apparently the guy who had my number before I did was also named "Jeff". So I'll answer the phone, and somebody will say, "Jeff?". Of course I say yeah. Then they start talking about s**t that's totally irrelevant to me. I still get calls for the guy, but now I always tell them the mini-story of how I apparently got a phone number that he used to have; and ask them to please make a note of the fact that it's no longer assigned to the Jeff they're trying to reach.

Of course I AM glad it's not collection agencies going after the guy...

[Baryonyx]

The worst "wrong number" calls round here belong to a mate of mine, who regularly gets people ringing up trying to order takeaway Chinese food!

[Gard]

OK, weirdest wrong number call ever:

It's the late 80's, I'm living in Orlando, one evening the phone rings, my roomie answers it, and I hear half the conversation...

"...hello?...no, this isn't ******, sorry, you must have the wrong number....yeah?....you want to know if I'd like to do huh??....well, uh...I don't drive, is it OK if my roommate comes along???....OK....what's the address????....off what street....OK....yeah, fine...we'll be there in a bit..."

So I look at my buddy and ask "What the...???"

He starts laughing, and says "Dude, we just got invited to a rapture party!"

OK, bit of background for those that weren't around, but apparently, back in about '88 (I think? ), there was this whole bunch of Christians that thought the world was about to end, and the "Rapture" was at hand, and THIS was the night they had decided was THE night.

Further, both of us were total non-Christians (Mike was an atheist, I am agnostic), so we found this invitation rather entertaining to say the least.

That was one WEIRD night!

...and, no, no one was "raptured"...they were all standing around at midnight waiting to be "taken" and then they weren't...we didn't laugh at them, we just hung out drinking their wine for an hour or so longer, then politely thanked them for the invitation, and told them we were quite sorry for their disappointment as we headed home....



True story.

[MatticusMania]

Originally Posted by Baryonyx

The worst "wrong number" calls round here belong to a mate of mine, who regularly gets people ringing up trying to order takeaway Chinese food!

That sounds like an episode of Seinfeld, except it was moviefone, not chinese food.

[malthumb]

I have two.....

When I lived in Flint, Michigan, my phone number was 1 digit different than the phone number for the Genesee County Probate Court. I CONSTANTLY had messages on my answering machine with people's lame excuse why they would not be able to make it to court that day. I eventually had to state on my outgoing message that "If you are trying to call the Genesee County Probate Court, the correct number is......."

One night some guy kept calling and asking for "Michelle". I kept telling him he had the wrong number. He kept calling back, each time a little angrier than the last. Finally, I'd had it and so the FINAL call went something like this.....

HIM: Gosh-Darn it put Michelle on the Gosh-Darn phone!

ME: Hold on (holding the phone just a little away from my face) Michelle, get your @$$ down here and speak to this mickey-fickey.

pause.....pause......pause......

ME: Dude, she don't wanna talk to you [click]

He never called back.

[Gard]

Originally Posted by malthumb

I have two.....

When I lived in Flint, Michigan, my phone number was 1 digit different than the phone number for the Genesee County Probate Court. I CONSTANTLY had messages on my answering machine with people's lame excuse why they would not be able to make it to court that day. I eventually had to state on my outgoing message that "If you are trying to call the Genesee County Probate Court, the correct number is......."

One night some guy kept calling and asking for "Michelle". I kept telling him he had the wrong number. He kept calling back, each time a little angrier than the last. Finally, I'd had it and so the FINAL call went something like this.....

HIM: Gosh-Darn it put Michelle on the Gosh-Darn phone!

ME: Hold on (holding the phone just a little away from my face) Michelle, get your @$$ down here and speak to this mickey-fickey.

pause.....pause......pause......

ME: Dude, she don't wanna talk to you [click]

He never called back.

You totally missed the opportunity to use the Danny DeVito line from "Ruthless People".

I cannot post it here, because it is absolutely not within the forum rules, but that was the PERFECT place for that one...if you don't know the movie, rent it one night, and you will know what I speak of.

[hbarcat]

Originally Posted by Gard

Ruthless People

Best movie, ever.

[Baryonyx]

Originally Posted by Gard

...and, no, no one was "raptured"...they were all standing around at midnight waiting to be "taken" and then they weren't...we didn't laugh at them, we just hung out drinking their wine for an hour or so longer, then politely thanked them for the invitation, and told them we were quite sorry for their disappointment as we headed home...

And to think, you went expecting an orgy!

[T-Bird]

Hi.

^It was the last moments in their travels in earth an they didn't.....lame


Sam