JustTricia
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,847 
Location: Indianapolis
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Post by JustTricia on Mar 31, 2024 14:46:00 GMT
Just a PSA if you give out fake phone numbers when you sign up for rewards, etc. Make sure the number doesn’t belong to someone else.
The annoyance from the side of a person who has had her number given out ~ my number was sold by whoever he gave it to. I get multiple texts a day from a political party that I’m opposed to. I’m REALLY tired of seeing that pop up on my phone all the time. I do have an iPhone so I could turn on the “block unknown callers” button, but my job uses text verification for signing things and calling our Home Office and it’s not always from the same number. If I turn that on I won’t get those texts. And it’s just as much of an annoyance to turn it on before a call and turn it off after.
I also can’t set up a rewards account myself for a few nationwide stores because he already has. And when I give my phone number they ask if I’m *first name*. Nope, he’s using my number. I could call their corporate offices to get it fixed but they aren’t shops I go to often.
I’m close to changing my phone number.
But here’s the kicker ~ I have a lot of the guy’s personal information. It first started with texts being addressed to a first name. Then I started getting texts that someone wanted to sell his house at *his address listed out*. So with his first name and address a quick Google search gave me his last name.
That’s bad enough, and yes, I didn’t need to Google. But one day I ran a credit report on myself and he’s now showing up as someone that I may be associated with. And with that I now have his full name, including middle initial, address, phone number, and email.
The vindictive part of me wants to sign him up for every opposing party’s texts and emails, along with anything else I can get my hands on.
I also want to email or text him to tell him to stop. But I’m afraid that will ramp him up as well.
So, if you do that, don’t. It’s a really shitty thing to do to someone you don’t know just to save yourself from an inconvenience you are now putting on them.
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Post by lucyg on Mar 31, 2024 14:49:21 GMT
Couldn’t agree more. People don’t think these things through, or just don’t care. I’m sorry you have to deal with all this BS.
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Post by hop2 on Mar 31, 2024 14:54:06 GMT
There a bitch in New York City that keeps giving out MY email that I’ve have for 25+ years. Her Honda dealership will not stop emailing me. I k is when all of her service appointments are. ( I should cancel them in her I swear ) She tried to use my email in an online store. But I changed my password to lock her out. The latest she gave it to her healthcare provider & I got a series of emails of paperwork to fill out for her surgery.
WTF I hope the gave her issues for not filling out the paperwork they sent to me. She does know it’s another persons email she’s just a bitch, like I said above.
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JustTricia
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,847
Location: Indianapolis
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Post by JustTricia on Mar 31, 2024 15:07:56 GMT
There a bitch in New York City that keeps giving out MY email that I’ve have for 25+ years. Her Honda dealership will not stop emailing me. I k is when all of her service appointments are. ( I should cancel them in her I swear ) She tried to use my email in an online store. But I changed my password to lock her out. The latest she gave it to her healthcare provider & I got a series of emails of paperwork to fill out for her surgery. WTF I hope the gave her issues for not filling out the paperwork they sent to me. She does know it’s another persons email she’s just a bitch, like I said above. Oooh. In a situation like that I would be much more tempted to cancel her appointments! That’s awful. |
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Post by Restless Spirit on Mar 31, 2024 15:11:55 GMT
“Katherine” in South Carolina keeps using my email address. (My name is not Katherine and I don’t live in SC). It’s so annoying. Thankfully, she is a Democrat, but I keep getting bombarded with emails for SC state and local election campaign fundraising emails. They come for various email addresses and are impossible to filter out. I started filtering by her name and now the majority go to my trash folder.
The more aggravating emails are the Trumper crap I’ve been getting for years, addressed to me. I’m pretty sure I know the source - this board when I joined a card exchange. Delete. delete. Delete.
I also have a kid that has giving out my phone number to his high school. The HS calls or texts me about once a month or more (thinking they are calling his mom) advising her that DeShawn has yet again not shown up for school.
And then there’s the person who gave out my number to their mental health facility. They never seem to show up for their appointments. So many calls and texts. That one I finally successfully was able to block.
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Post by 950nancy on Mar 31, 2024 15:27:23 GMT
I have definitely received those phone calls. People also take your number for Safeway Rewards by just plugging in a number at the pump or checkout. Grrrr. My husband used my phone number at Kohls and took my Kohl's cash. He doesn't have a credit card there. I was going to give him my paper reward cash since he goes there more than I do, but anyone could have said my number.
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Post by busy on Mar 31, 2024 15:27:30 GMT
annoying but just reply STOP to the text messages. It's a network message and it will cut off marketing messages from that number.
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quiltedbrain
Full Member
Posts: 429
Jun 26, 2014 3:34:53 GMT
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Post by quiltedbrain on Mar 31, 2024 15:42:28 GMT
Someone in California and someone in Oregon have used my email address as their junk email. Oregon dude once bought a pellet grill from Home Depot and I got the receipt for it, which included his phone number. I got the email at 8 am Eastern Time, so I called him then and asked him to stop using my email. I guess the call at such an early hour convinced him he didn't want to keep using my email as I haven't received any emails for him since.  The California person once had one go to me that had her spouse's email on it as well. I emailed him asking if he would pass on the info that she was using a real email and to please stop. He responded jerkily, so the next time I get an email about their tee time, I'm contacting the golf course to cancel it. A simple google search of all of the people revealed a lot of information about them that along with what I know from their junk email reveals enough that I could do some real damage to them if I were so inclined. TL;DR--CREATE YOUR OWN JUNK EMAIL ACCOUNT, IT'S SAFER!!! |
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Post by nlwilkins on Mar 31, 2024 16:14:10 GMT
My phone number was used by a business on a big billboard in the next town over. That was back in the day when you did not get unlimited time on your cell phones. It really was a pain. So I called the company only to find out it had gone out of business. Karma can be a pain  |
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JustTricia
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,847
Location: Indianapolis
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Post by JustTricia on Mar 31, 2024 16:15:34 GMT
annoying but just reply STOP to the text messages. It's a network message and it will cut off marketing messages from that number. I did that last presidential election and while it may have stopped some it didn’t diminish enough to make a difference. Now I “delete and report junk”. Still haven’t slowed them down. |
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RedSquirrelUK
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,920
Location: The UK's beautiful West Country
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Post by RedSquirrelUK on Mar 31, 2024 16:18:54 GMT
I wouldn't dream of giving out a random phone number or email address. I have an email address which other people use in error. Let's say mine is flower@sample.com. They have a number in their version, flower1@sample.com and they either forget to give out the number, or else the person they've given it to forgets to add in the number.
In the UK we have a service called TrueCall38. It's free, and can be used for when a number is required for signing up for something but you don't want to receive calls or texts. It's 0333 88 88 88 88 (three threes, eight eights) or 0333 88 88 888 if the form doesn't accept all the 8s. Both work. If someone tries to call or text, they get a message telling them that the customer doesn't want to receive calls or texts, please email instead. Email fields are usually optional as not everyone has email.
Is there a similar service in the US?
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Post by hop2 on Mar 31, 2024 16:23:27 GMT
annoying but just reply STOP to the text messages. It's a network message and it will cut off marketing messages from that number. Did not work with the Honda In fact I looked up their service manager, emailed her and demanded they stopped which she promised to do but it has not stopped. |
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Post by gillyp on Mar 31, 2024 16:34:47 GMT
I’ve not used what RedSquirrelUK suggested but I just put eleven zeros in when I don’t want to give my number. Would that work over there? |
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Post by busy on Mar 31, 2024 16:56:29 GMT
annoying but just reply STOP to the text messages. It's a network message and it will cut off marketing messages from that number. Did not work with the Honda In fact I looked up their service manager, emailed her and demanded they stopped which she promised to do but it has not stopped. There are federal laws that govern text marketing and it's mandatory to give the option to unsubscribe and for all communication to cease within ten days of the request. There are substantial fines for non-compliance. |
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TXMary
Pearl Clutcher
And so many nights I just dream of the ocean. God, I wish I was sailin' again.
Posts: 3,032
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Post by TXMary on Mar 31, 2024 17:10:21 GMT
We're some of the last holdouts that still have a landline but this is one reason why. It's a cheap add on to our internet service so I keep it because I give that number out to whoever I don't want to give my cell phone number to. We don't answer it. We rarely look at it so I don't know how many people are calling it but it's no one I know. Anyone I want to hear from has my cell phone number.
There's a vet clinic in California that I was getting emails from all the time about some guy's pets. I have never been to the city they were in. I emailed them multiple times and they promised to change it but it never stopped. My name is Mary and his name is Mark with a very common last name. I honestly don't think it was anything shady. It all came from the PetDesk app I think. I finally changed my email in the app to a different one I have and the emails stopped. For awhile though, it was crazy. All our pets (and we both have several) were showing up in my app so I knew what pets he had and their names and when their appointments were.
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Post by Scrapper100 on Mar 31, 2024 20:48:10 GMT
Years ago we used to get messages for someone about showing up for dialysis appointments. It was usually on our machine but I picked up a few times and tried to tell them they had the wrong number but in a week they would call again. We moved so changed numbers as it was a landline.
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Post by KikiPea on Mar 31, 2024 20:48:50 GMT
There a bitch in New York City that keeps giving out MY email that I’ve have for 25+ years. Her Honda dealership will not stop emailing me. I k is when all of her service appointments are. ( I should cancel them in her I swear ) She tried to use my email in an online store. But I changed my password to lock her out. The latest she gave it to her healthcare provider & I got a series of emails of paperwork to fill out for her surgery. WTF I hope the gave her issues for not filling out the paperwork they sent to me. She does know it’s another persons email she’s just a bitch, like I said above. Just block all of the senders email addresses. |
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Post by mollycoddle on Mar 31, 2024 21:50:07 GMT
Someone gave my phone number to some businesses-one was a contractor. I texted them back telling them that I have no idea who this woman is, or why she kept using my phone number, but I suggested that they ask her next time she made contact.
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Post by kimberlyr on Mar 31, 2024 21:57:08 GMT
It happened to me too. A lady named Karen used my number for a petsmart rewards account from what I can tell and I get a bunch of political stuff and calls to see if I want to sell some property I don’t own. It was really annoying until I answered a good number of the calls and told them they had the wrong number. I unsubscribed to a bunch of political texts also.
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Post by Scrapper100 on Apr 1, 2024 0:12:16 GMT
It happened to me too. A lady named Karen used my number for a petsmart rewards account from what I can tell and I get a bunch of political stuff and calls to see if I want to sell some property I don’t own. It was really annoying until I answered a good number of the calls and told them they had the wrong number. I unsubscribed to a bunch of political texts also. I reported so many political ads to junk this year. More than I have ever had it was really annoying. A few months ago apparently someone used my phone number at a cvs in a city I have never shopped and I got a survey about my visit said in the survey that I had never been to that store. I also have a cvs card but not the paid version so I made sure that I wasn’t hacked and start getting charged for the membership. |
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Post by crazy4scraps on Apr 1, 2024 0:33:27 GMT
JustTricia I’m sure that’s what happened to me too. Some idiot named Joseph used my phone number for something somewhere and the number was sold probably a thousand times over to spammers. I was getting phone calls at first but at one point I snapped and chewed out some telemarketer. Now it’s switched over to mostly text messages, of which I must get at least a dozen a day. I know I can block, report as spam and delete but still it’s such a pain in the butt. Every so often I go on those people finder websites and request to have my name and information removed but the info keeps getting put back up after those companies go trolling through public records. It’s so irritating. It’s bad enough that we still get junk mail at our house for my MIL who has been dead for over a decade and has never lived here, but that stuff is much easier to deal with.
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Post by Spongemom Scrappants on Apr 1, 2024 11:18:40 GMT
I’ve had my current cell number for about twelve years now and still occasionally get collections calls for the girl that had it before me. As the debt gets sold time and again, the new company tries to collect on it. At first, it was very intrusive but it has dampened down greatly over the years.
A year or so ago, I started receiving emails attempting to collect on a debt for a large purchase of furniture from a store in Pennsylvania. It took some sleuthing on my part, but it turned out the buyer and I had the same name. Her email got erroneously entered with my @xxx instead of her @xxx. Once I was certain it was just an email snafu and she wasn’t using my identity, I simply started blocking the emails meant for her.
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peppermintpatty
Pearl Clutcher
Refupea #1345
Posts: 3,989
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Post by peppermintpatty on Apr 1, 2024 11:38:22 GMT
Someone gave my email address to a doctor's office. I would get reminders for appointments all the time. I kept calling the office and told them they had the wrong person but they are still doing several years later. I just got a reminder for an appt and to confirm or cancel the appt. Guess what I did? I cancelled the appt. I'm sorry but stop f'ing with me and do what I ask.
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Post by crazy4scraps on Apr 1, 2024 13:18:07 GMT
I just remembered that I’ve been getting texts recently from Walmart about my pick up order that look like they are legit from Walmart, except I never ever shop at Walmart.
If someplace kept using my phone number for appointment reminders that weren’t mine or for someone in my household, I would absolutely cancel them if the place didn’t stop after I asked them to.
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Post by JustCallMeMommy on Apr 1, 2024 13:49:16 GMT
I get text messages for Eula all the time and emails for John. Eula's are spam, but John's are legit business emails. I suspect they are misspelling his email address or leaving off numbers at the end. And then someone uses my number at Gap/Old Navy/Banana Republic. I get an email with their receipt each time. Oh, and I can't get rid of my ex-husband's physical mail. They aren't even forwarded from the old address - companies have taken it upon themselves to find an address and send me his mail.
Those are just a drop in a bucket compared to all the other spam. I'm soooo tired of deleting the spam.
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Post by workingclassdog on Apr 1, 2024 14:49:50 GMT
I use fake numbers that can't be a phone number. like 555-555-5555 or similar..
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Post by workingclassdog on Apr 1, 2024 14:50:25 GMT
There a bitch in New York City that keeps giving out MY email that I’ve have for 25+ years. Her Honda dealership will not stop emailing me. I k is when all of her service appointments are. ( I should cancel them in her I swear ) She tried to use my email in an online store. But I changed my password to lock her out. The latest she gave it to her healthcare provider & I got a series of emails of paperwork to fill out for her surgery. WTF I hope the gave her issues for not filling out the paperwork they sent to me. She does know it’s another persons email she’s just a bitch, like I said above. I would have some fun with that!! |
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Post by workingclassdog on Apr 1, 2024 14:52:10 GMT
People also take your number for Safeway Rewards by just plugging in a number at the pump or checkout. I have had my points taken (probably from my kids).. easy way to fix that... I plug in my number with the zip code after the number (so I don't have to remember another new number). Not a wrong number but my husband's phone number is close to another country's lottery phone number... he had fun with that one. Lots of winners. |
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Rhondito
Pearl Clutcher
MississipPea
Posts: 4,852
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Post by Rhondito on Apr 1, 2024 17:10:01 GMT
Jonathon in Louisiana uses my number for everything. I get calls and texts from his insurance companies, realtors wanting to sell his house, debt collectors, you name it.
I looked him up on Facebook one time and thought about sending him a message but decided against it. If I contacted him, he would know who I was and who the phone number belonged to - it just seemed like I could be opening myself up to a bunch of harassment if he was the wrong type of person.
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Post by rymeswithpurple on Apr 1, 2024 17:20:51 GMT
Jerell's grandma called me so much that I had to block her number. I once got a text (and picture!) from a guy who was bragging about the rabbit stew his wife made for him and the kids. Complete with shit-eating grin of him with a bowl of said soup.
DH gets the weirdest wrong number texts... some of my favorites:
* A lady trying to sell puppies
* A guy who just sent a picture of his driver's license
* A group of friends who plan ski trips and football game tailgating (though they haven't texted him in a while, so maybe they realized he's not who they're trying to reach)
* My all-time favorite was a text from a guy that said something like, "Hey, dude, I know you're 24, but did you really try to hook up with my mom last night?"
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