Fundraiser using Local Phone Numbers? (neighborhood, buy, to live in)

[skaternum]

I had a very strange thing happen to me recently. I got a phone call and the caller ID had a person's name. I answered and it turned out to be a fundraiser solicitation call -- from some law enforcement thing (don't remember the name). When I looked up the number, it was the name & phone number of somebody who lives in the neighborhood I used to live in. Has anybody experienced anything like this?? How is that even possible?

[no kudzu]

charities and fundraisers from every category hire folks to make these calls but a wise person would block their phone number if they were making these calls from home. So when you hear somebody saying "This is Bill calling for the Wake County Sheriff's Department" (or any county's sheriff department they are telling you the truth. They are not calling FROM that place but FOR which means they have no direct affiliation with the people they are raising money for.

[don6170]

Originally Posted by skaternum

How is that even possible?

It the old days, the Telcos and PBX administrators controlled what name showed up on caller id. Today, with VoIP and Internet technologies, you can have the caller id show just about anything.

[adams_aj]

Originally Posted by don6170

It the old days, the Telcos and PBX administrators controlled what name showed up on caller id. Today, with VoIP and Internet technologies, you can have the caller id show just about anything.

This is quite true. In fact, my mother got a call the other day that came from my late father. His name showed up on her caller ID. I guess you can take "it" with you--at least your cell phone. Heck of a battery life--he'd passed away almost 3 years to-the-day of the call!

[Carlos_Danger]

I got one last week that the ID said it was a local cell phone call. It was a call center. You could hear the chatter in the background. Another came up as Total Gym, it was a charity.

Because of this blatant dishonesty I only answer numbers I recognize.

[CHTransplant]

I assume you have your numbers on the Do Not Call registry?

[Jkgourmet]

Originally Posted by Carlos_Danger

I got one last week that the ID said it was a local cell phone call. It was a call center. You could hear the chatter in the background. Another came up as Total Gym, it was a charity.

Because of this blatant dishonesty I only answer numbers I recognize.

You may end up regretting that In case a friend or family member has an emergency. Think about it.

[Carlos_Danger]

Originally Posted by CHTransplant

I assume you have your numbers on the Do Not Call registry?

Oh yes. Makes some difference. Not perfect.

[Jkgourmet]

Originally Posted by CHTransplant

I assume you have your numbers on the Do Not Call registry?

If it's a charity/non profit, they are exempt. So are politicians!

[CHTransplant]

I never get charity or political calls - guess I'm lucky. (But I only have a cell phone - no land line.)

And as for the need to answer every call immediately because it might be an emergency - I don't buy it. I think with cell phones we've psyched ourselves into thinking we have to be immediately available every minute of every day and that the world will somehow collapse if we aren't.