Unusual Phone Calls (Birmingham: credit card, live, area code)

[Mtn. States Resident]

Hi everyone. I'm hoping you can tell me if you have heard of similar phone calls like my mother received.

She received a very odd phone call, which could have been an honest mistake of someone misdialing. However, when I searched for the area code to locate where the call originated, I couldn't find it. Usually various area codes are easy to find. It is an odd situation. Possibly, this area code exists in Toronto or close by.

The caller left a message stating, "Hi, I'm your niece and will be in B'ham soon. I won't be staying, but have a delay at the airport. Can we get together, I'd love to see you." Knowing where her nieces mostly live and knowing her nieces would say more, my mother became suspicious of that call.

Has anyone else heard of similar calls being received by B'ham seniors? If not, then maybe this is a heads up to others.

I'd appreciate any information anyone may be able to share with me.
Thank you in advance for your help.

Mountain States Resident

[Southlander]

My mother had 2 or 3 long-distance calls on her phone bill at one time that were for, oh, $5 or $7 each...not much. But that was unusual since she would talk to her sisters in another state several times a week, and a single call was never that much. I check the number...it was from a pay phone in the Toronto area. She couldn't recall the exact nature of the call, except it was a wrong number. Apparently it was a scam of some kind...but we never could figure out how.
So....beware. Tell your mom not to accept any collect calls.

[Lindsey_Mcfarren]

Originally Posted by Mtn. States Resident

Hi everyone. I'm hoping you can tell me if you have heard of similar phone calls like my mother received.

She received a very odd phone call, which could have been an honest mistake of someone misdialing. However, when I searched for the area code to locate where the call originated, I couldn't find it. Usually various area codes are easy to find. It is an odd situation. Possibly, this area code exists in Toronto or close by.

The caller left a message stating, "Hi, I'm your niece and will be in B'ham soon. I won't be staying, but have a delay at the airport. Can we get together, I'd love to see you." Knowing where her nieces mostly live and knowing her nieces would say more, my mother became suspicious of that call.

Has anyone else heard of similar calls being received by B'ham seniors? If not, then maybe this is a heads up to others.

I'd appreciate any information anyone may be able to share with me.
Thank you in advance for your help.

Mountain States Resident

Send me a DM and tell me the phone number, I can probabaly find it. I have special skills.
I would always be skeptical of anything like that.
The cops will tell you that people who are going to break into a house, often call first or knock on the door first to see if anyone is at home.

[Mtn. States Resident]

Originally Posted by Southlander

My mother had 2 or 3 long-distance calls on her phone bill at one time that were for, oh, $5 or $7 each...not much. But that was unusual since she would talk to her sisters in another state several times a week, and a single call was never that much. I check the number...it was from a pay phone in the Toronto area. She couldn't recall the exact nature of the call, except it was a wrong number. Apparently it was a scam of some kind...but we never could figure out how.
So....beware. Tell your mom not to accept any collect calls.

Thank you Southlander for the information. I probably wasn't quite clear enough, or perhaps we don't know what will happen next. I will alert my mother to watch her phone bill. I appreciate your tip.

The call which my mother received wasn't collect. And since she didn't answer the phone, a message was left on her answering machine.

I'm just wondering if Srs. in the B'ham area are somehow getting targeted by some who aren't exactly trying to make friends vs. attempting to exploit those not quite as sharp as my mother.

I appreciate the information and if others have heard of similar experiences, please share them as well. I'm trying to determine why Birmingham. However, this may be occurring in many cities.

MSR

[Threestep]

Thank you Lindsey for offering your services,
We had an issue with a credit card company we had personal accounts with for almost 20 years and could not get an answer on who/why called to talk about our business. I have now been in unsuccessful conversations with them about a service my husband signed up for by phone. AL guy in a deer stand during season signing up for something??? The cancelleation is just not enough for this ex-banker. We are on the 120-day marker.

I am sure your mother knows about her nieces and their plans. Sounds to odd to even worry about. Someone trying to get her to leave her housenat at certain time?