Anyone get calls for their "evil" twin?

[just_hatched]

I just got one of those calls intended for one of the "other me's". It seems like a growing trend that collection agencies (or a credit lender type company) call me and leave a message like "Mr. X, it's very important that you call us right away at this number."

On the one hand, I just want to ignore it, but
1. I know they'll keep calling and annoying me.
2. Maybe someone is trying to steal my identity and this is the only way I'll find out about it.

So I call them and of course the address and SSN are completely different from mine (that's a good sign), yet they are calling me at my phone number.

Either someone gives them that number, or they're just going through the phonebook/internet hoping to bowl a strike.

In an ideal world, should these companies do a bit more research before calling people? Should I blame them or my "evil" twin?

Either way, it seems that it is going to get worse before it gets better.

 

[KB]

I put all my phone numbers on the do not call list and haven't had any lately.

I also have an unlisted number so pulling my name/number out of the phone book doesn't happen either.
Collections departments look in phone books hoping to find the right person, or someone who might know them.
I decided the intrusion was too annoying, and the unlisted number has worked so far.

 

[education]

I'm with you, KB. When I retire and leave the university I intend to totally disappear for a while. I don't want people from my past life bothering me--asking for assistance or advice. And I sure as heck don't want to have places hitting me up for alumni projects or charity donations or volunteer services. I intend to blow (or just run over) up my cell phone, get a new email address, and get an unlisted number. I think a lot of people (and telemarketers) just dial with the hope of snagging the gullible or the lonely. That's my plan of action.

Professor

 

[Nords]

I'm with you, KB.  When I retire and leave the university I intend to totally disappear for a while.  I intend to blow (or just run over) up my cell phone, get a new email address, and get an unlisted number.

Years ago the phone company used to charge extra for an "unlisted" phone number. So my parents-in-law asked the phone company to list them under a fake name. It worked great as long as they didn't have to provide a phone number for a reference. The telemarketers would ask for "Mr. or Mrs. Smith" and be told that they weren't there right now.

The phone company eventually wreaked its vengeance when they moved to Hawaii. Their current phone number is only one digit away from Saki Motors, a local generations-old family repair business with many loyal hard-of-hearing elderly customers. The many conversational variations of "Trust me, you really do have the WRONG NUMBER" are somewhat chaotic. My 71-year-old FIL says that it must be hell to get old. He also wants to invest in Saki Motors.

 

[Andre1969]

Back in 1995, one of my uncles on my Dad's side of the family divorced, and she kept his last name. Well, around 1999 I started getting phone calls for her at my number, from various creditors. I did a little digging around and discovered that she had moved to the same town as me! Her number WAS in the phone book, so I don't know why the creditors were all bugging me!

I had caller ID so I could ignore them, but since they were live callers and not automated, they'd leave messages and fill up the answering machine. I finally called one back one day, and told them that I knew who she was, but that she didn't live here and I hadn't seen her in ages.

I'm actually surprised that no creditors have ever mixed me up with my Dad, since I'm a junior. But then, it turns out that he doesn't have bad credit, just NO credit. So there were never any creditors to pester him or me.

 

[maddythebeagle]

Years ago the phone company used to charge extra for an "unlisted" phone number. So my parents-in-law asked the phone company to list them under a fake name. It worked great as long as they didn't have to provide a phone number for a reference. The telemarketers would ask for "Mr. or Mrs. Smith" and be told that they weren't there right now.

we have always done this and list our number under our dogs name rather than pay the unlisted charge. Even the "do not call list" doesn cut everything out.

 

[Martha]

My sister's telephone number is one number different from the Chrystal Cathedral's help line. I don't know why she doesn't get a new number.

My other sister gets calls all the time from her ex husband's creditors and from telemarkers trying to market to her ex. She is on the do not call list but he isn't. She also should get her number changed too.

I have an uncommon name so no evil twin. DH has a very common name. For a while, a guy with the same name as DH who lived in a town with the same name as our town, would call on his birthday and yuck it up with DH. At least he doesn't have bad credit.

 

[Mr._johngalt]

we have always done this and list our number under our dogs name rather than pay the unlisted charge. Even the "do not call list" doesn cut everything out.

My dogs get more calls than I do.

JG