There Is No Jennifer at This Number, Dammit!

[MineralMan]

My cell phone number has been the same for almost 15 years now. Apparently, before it was assigned to me, it was the number for someone named Jennifer. At least 15 years ago. Almost daily, I have to block a number calling for Jennifer. I have blocked dozens of such numbers recently, since I finally upgraded to a smart phone that lets me do that. Before, I had a dumb flip phone, and couldn't block numbers on it, so it rang almost daily, looking vainly for Jennifer.

Now, I don't know exactly what the callers want from Jennifer, but they are not very nice about it. I used to explain that there is no Jennifer at this number, but all that did was get the collection agency representative to call me a liar. 15 years, and they're still trying to hound whoever Jennifer is in a vain attempt to collect some money she apparently owes.

I know what Jennifer's last name is. Google associated her with my cell number and provided her full name. I have no idea, however, where Jennifer is, nor how someone might contact her. If I did, I wouldn't share it with the nasty folks who call. I used to try to explain to the caller what the situation was. I gave up. Now, I hang up on the call and block the number, but they change numbers as often as they call, apparently.

15 years. Poor Jennifer, if they ever find her. Poor me, too, though, since I am the target of those collection agencies. Even after 15 years, they persist. As one collection agent said, "Just put Jennifer on the phone, damnit! I know she's there."

"There is no Jennifer at this number. Please stop calling. Thanks."

[dalton99a]

1. FWIW The current iOS has a feature to ignore anyone not on your contacts list

that is, if you have an iPhone

[MineralMan]

4. My Android phone has a similar setting.

However, my number is also a business number, so I often get calls from people not in my contact list. I don't want to miss those calls. I can't really use such a feature.

[Tech]

2. Someone named Debbie had my number, have had this number at least 15 years.

A university keeps wanting to help her pay off her loans and move on wants her to back dem causes. So I am thinking the previous owner of my phone number is a somewhat educated liberal.

[Chipper Chat]

3. Me too. But they want to speak to Amber.

I just tell them she works for Fox News and they should contact them.

[MineralMan]

6. LOL! But, I have nothing against Jennifer. I don't know her.

[MontanaMama]

5. For years I got collection calls on my landline

for a guy named Jay. Sometimes I’d come home from work and my whole answering machine would be filled with menacing messages for this guy.

Meanwhile, I worked for a dentist for 21 years as an insurance biller and one day, I had to call a patient regarding an issue with his plan and BAM! I realized the patient I was calling was this JAY! His home phone was 1 number off from mine. What would be the odds of this? I couldn’t say anything to him on the phone while I was working but once I realized it...I started telling the collection people calling me Jay’s actual number and that it was available in the phone book if they needed to verify it. I thought that they’d stop calling and guess what? They began calling me more.

I did have a brief interaction with Jay about the collection calls...I saw him in the parking lot of the medical complex where I worked...I told him I was receiving calls at my home regarding financial matters and that my home phone number was very close to his and suggested he may want to tell his creditors about the mistake...he simply said “too bad for you!” Nice guy, right?

I got rid of my land line not long after.

[MineralMan]

7. We just shut off our landline, finally.

[scheming daemons]

8. I have the same problem... but they keep asking for Karen Miller

And I don't know any Karens and very few Millers.

[JHB]

9. So you can honestly say to her...

"Jenny, I got your number"?

[MineralMan]

10. LOL!

[FM123]

52. 867-5309?

[TheBlackAdder]

11. "One sec., I'll get her." Place the phone on mute and let them enter limbo each time they call.

[sl8]

12. I wouldn't rule out Tommy Tutone.

He seems to have an unnatural obsession with her phone number.

[luvs2sing]

13. I had the greatest wrong number..

I was 21 and living alone in the “big city”. My phone rang around 6am one Sunday morning. In those days, I slept till noon, and having the phone ring in what I thought was the middle of the night alarmed me. When I answered, this big, African-American male voice boomed, “IS YO GRANDPA THERE?” Still half asleep, I kind of stammered that, no, he wasn’t. The gentleman on the other end apologized profusely and wished me a good day. Over the months, he misdialed every now and then, always early on Sunday morning. It got to the point where we began chatting and I learned his story. He was 75, married with kids and grandkids, still spry and active. “Grandpa” was a lifelong friend who was widowed, had a lot of health challenges and could no longer drive. My caller picked him up every Sunday morning, and they went to breakfast together then to church. They never missed a Sunday, and I only received a call when he was running late to pick up his friend. I hated giving up that number when I moved to another part of the city a year later. I felt like I’d lost a friend.

[Kali]

28. great story!

[Blue Owl]

14. Gotta switch your number from 867-5309 to something else!

[MineralMan]

15. LOL!

[MyOwnPeace]

16. Names can be bad, too.............

Several years there was a slumlord in our town who had the same name as me.
So, about once a month I'd get a call around midnight or so asking when I was gonna fix their &%@#%!* water heater!

Another time I had an answering machine connected and there was a bank in town that had a phone number that was ONE number away from mine. So, now and then I'd get a message asking for the balance on their account, or, as happened one time, a complaint about charges to their account.
Really?
The message began with my name (Hello, this is the *****'s. We're not home now, etc. etc.)
Honestly, what bank would have an answering message like that?

[MineralMan]

18. I used to have a number just for my fax machine.

One day, I got a fax of many, many pages. It was a loan application for a home purchase mortgage. On it was a different fax number, which had two numbers switched from mine. The name of a real estate broker was also on the fax, so I called that broker and told him I had a fax meant for him.

He said, "You are not allowed to look at the fax you received. Bring it to my office immediately!"

I laughed, and told him he was welcome to come to my office and get it at any time. He did. When he got there, he ordered me to change my fax number to prevent any future occurrences. My patience was at an end.

I explained that I had had that fax number for 8 years, and that his brokerage had only been in business for two years. "I will not be changing my fax number. Perhaps you should consider changing yours, instead."

He stomped out of my offices, threatening to sue me. Apparently, though, he thought better of that and did change his fax line number.

Funny stuff.

[kas125]

26. Ugh, same names...

About 30 years ago we got our first credit card, a store card. Didn't apply, they called on the phone and asked if we wanted it. Of course I said yes, we were young, poor, and hell yes I wanted a credit card. They asked their questions over the phone and a week later we had the cards. I went to the store and bought a few things and a few weeks later hubby asked me to go to that store and get him new work boots. I take the baby, go to the store, get some boots, stand in a long line to pay only to hear that the card would no longer work because it was linked to a fraudulent account. I was pretty humiliated and pretty angry. There was nobody in the store to talk to me, I had to go to the back of the store and talk to someone at corporate on their phones. They were really rude and couldn't tell me anything.

After many days and phone calls it turned out that they called us to offer the card, sent them to us, then sent the bill to another couple who live in the same city who both have the same names we do. He's an attorney. I'm sure they never meant to call us in the first place, they thought they were offering that card to the other couple. They got our bill and reported the account as fraud. It was a mess to straighten out and doctors offices have confused us since then. I did learn that when someone makes us an offer that seems too good to be true, it's probably meant for them, lol.

[gratuitous]

17. A similar story

I've had my cell phone number for about 15 years or so. At first, I got calls for a Rhonda or Wanda, who was (I think) a sex worker. The calling numbers were always from another area code, usually on Friday or Saturday evening, and invariably male. Voice mails often mentioned just being in town for a few hours. The calls finally stopped after a couple of years.

For the past couple of years, I get collection calls and "special offer" texts (with blind links) for "Summer." I finally got one of the collection agencies to stop calling when I persuaded them that Summer had given them a bogus phone number. But the rest seem to come in waves every couple of months or so. I've blocked them as they come in, but if I encounter Summer, I'm going to give her a piece of my mind about paying her bills and honesty.

[MineralMan]

19. I guess it's not a rare thing. Hmm...

[JHB]

23. It happened to me in reverse...

My first cell phone (a flip) was on a relative's family plan. Some years later, when I changed to a smartphone I also switched to a plan of my own, with a new number.

Maybe a year after that my housemate tried to send me a text, but it was answered by someone saying "I don't know who you are and I'm not the person you're trying to contact." It turned out she still had my old number on her phone, so her text went to whoever it was that got the freed-up number.

[MineralMan]

24. That happens. People change phone carriers and plans all the time.

If they change numbers, someone will inevitably will end up with their old number. It can be a PITA.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

20. always wondered what area code went with 867-5309

[MineralMan]

21. I think that's not a number a person would want to have.

I'm sure someone does, somewhere, though.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

22. "Is Jenny there?"

[xmas74]

42. For years it wasn't available.

Several phone companies made it available in different area codes after constant requests. They put the number up for various auctions with proceeds going to charities

I knew someone who was starting up an exotic dancer service,male and female, that would perform at house parties. He wanted to bid on the number but said it was over ten grand when he looked, besides the normal monthly fees.

[whistler162]

48. One story

https://www.clevescene.com/scene-and-heard/archives/2012/04/30/the-akron-family-whose-phone-number-was-867-5309-back-when-jenny-came-out

[Danascot]

25. I had a phone number that was one digit off from a popular local golf course

I was constantly getting calls to set up tee times. I always politely told them I was not the golf course and gave them the correct number. ... except for one person who was very abusive, insisting I was the golf course and demanded a tee time ... so I gave it to him.

[SWBTATTReg]

30. Ha ha! They deserve that! Isn't it amazing that some folks just won't listen? Misdials do happen.

[MineralMan]

31. I had a friend in California whose phone number was similar

to a Pizza place. People kept calling to order a pizza delivery. Finally, my friend started taking their orders. It wasn't long before the pizza place changed its phone number.

[csziggy]

44. My landline is one digit different from a local private school

They'd had their number for twenty years or so when I got mine forty plus years ago. Every so often I'd get calls from parents, usually during the enrollment period, needing to talk to someone at the school about classes, etc. Once I got a call from an irate parent whose son had been suspended for activities during a school trip - he cussed at me for several minutes before I could tell him he had the wrong number.

The final straw was when the athletic director published my number as the contact for entering a tennis tournament. I called the school and asked them to remind their staff and parents of the correct number each fall so I'd stop getting their calls. Since then, I have gotten very few calls for them.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

27. Some years ago, before the days of cell phones and caller ID,

I repeatedly got phone calls from bill collectors for a person whose name was similar to mine, and no matter what I said I could not convince them that I was not that person, that they didn't live here and I didn't know them. It went on for months and months. Then I got a voicemail recorder and it filled up with messages for whoever this deadbeat was. Eventually the calls and messages stopped but it was really annoying.

[MineralMan]

29. Collection agencies don't give up.

They also won't tell you who they are if you ask, so you can't report them.

[Skraxx]

32. Wrong Number

One day I called someone up and got the wrong number. I apologized profusely but then realized that just an apology was not enough. I offered some money as a partial compensation and threw in some stocks and bonds at the last minute. Then I thought, perhaps if I could take their address and send them everything I own, then take a journey to Tibet to acquire wisdom, I could then inform them of the truth, something money cannot buy. Naturally they were still indignant, but were at least convinced of my sincerity in wanting to make it right. They suggested that after I go to Tibet, I kill myself, thus offering up my last breath as penance. This seemed slightly out of line, but not being a good business man, I agreed.

So now I’m in Tibet, standing on my head on a llama, thinking 'bout the day I got the wrong number.

(Courtesy of Steve Martin from "Cruel Shoes&quot

http://cannonizer.blogspot.com/2013/07/excerpts-from-cruel-shoes-steve-martin.html

[Hortensis]

34. Steve Martin's great. Thanks for the link.

The Nervous Father

"Daddy, where did I come from?"

"Uh...uh...well, Tommy, well, it seems...well...why, why out of the garbage can, son. The garbage man comes and throws you in the garbage can, and Mommy goes out and gets you. You see, the garbage men pick you up at the creampuff, cherry gingerbread house run by the angels with puppy faces, and the North Star wonder men with the magic seeds tiptoe ‘round the huckleberry tree."

"Well, where did the clock radio come from?"

"Oh...same place."

[Hortensis]

33. Your siding against these mean folk is pretty funny,

and understandable. I'm guessing, though, that Jennifer has been running up bills she doesn't pay for much of those 15 years. Who knows? Maybe she also has a handicapped child and is working 4 jobs.

Long ago, all the time we lived in West Hollywood, we had a "Jennifer" and also gave up trying to have the phone company fix the problem. Ours, though, was apparently a great guy with lots of friends who wanted to keep connected.

[MineralMan]

36. Well, I have nothing against Jennifer, whoever she is.

As far as I know, she's a nice person who got behind in her bills and dumped her cell phone account to change her number. I don't wish her any ill. The bill collectors, on the other hand, I hope get painful boils on their asses.

[Hortensis]

38. My attitude also. When we had our first baby we got

behind on the medical bills, and that was before it was illegal for bill collectors to harass and threaten. I was 19, getting all of them while I was home with the baby, and entirely unready for that. I became very sure nice people didn't take those jobs. Boils.

[SharonAnn]

35. "Jennifer" may still be giving that number out to people.

[MineralMan]

37. I don't think so. The collectors seem to be with some

company that buys old debt at a discount and tries to collect on it. There are no principles calling - just collection agencies who won't tell me who they are when I ask.

[The Genealogist]

39. They call my number and ask for Tina

I've had my phone number for 10 years now, and there has not been a Tina at my number in all that time. I don't know who she is, but I'm under the impression she owes a money to several parties.

[Tiggeroshii]

40. Somebody called me for juan. And when i explained that isnt me they wanted me to give them my addres

To confirm i was not actually juan. Give my address to some randon persom to confirm im not who they are asking for? No thanks. This was also a collections call.

[lastlib]

56. "1060 West Addison Street"

Wrigley Field.
(from "the Blues Brothers&quot

[leftyladyfrommo]

41. I had a collection company call me repeatedly.

They didn't have my name. They didn't have my social. All they had was a telephone number. And they didn't give up. I asked for the name they were calling. It wasn't my name. The last 4 digits of the social didn't match mine.

They seemed to believe whomever they were after was living with me. Pretty soon they would call and if I answered they would hang up. Happened over and over.

So I looked the name up in the telephone book. There it was and the number was 1 different from mine.

I asked for a supervisor and gave them the number. They never called again.

[MineralMan]

43. Persistent, aren't they, and they don't accept what you say as true.

I can see them dialing a wrong number based on someone mistyping it into a database. What a pain!

[leftyladyfrommo]

46. Now I only answer if it's on my contact list.

Sad.

[Downtown Hound]

45. If a collection company calls you a liar

that is illegal. tell them that. Tell them that harassment is illegal and if they call you again you will report them. I've done it before. Never heard form them again.

[jcgoldie]

47. Well at least your callers are looking for a real person

I just get computer voice generated messages from the "IRS" informing me there are urgent problems with my taxes and if I don't call back I'll be arrested or something... oh and people from all over the country wanting me to talk to them about my student loans that I foolishly thought were paid off 15 years ago...

[MyOwnPeace]

49. The "Ultimate" wrong number story.........

When you occasionally have a really bad day, and you just need to take it out on someone, don't take it out on someone you know, take it out on someone you don't know. I was sitting at my desk when I remembered a phone call I'd forgotten to make. I found the number and dialed it. A man answered, saying "Hello." I politely said, "This is Chris. Could I please speak with Robin Carter?"

Suddenly the phone was slammed down on me. I couldn't believe that anyone could be so rude. I tracked down Robin's correct number and called her. I had transposed the last two digits of her phone number.

After hanging up with her, I decided to call the 'wrong' number again.

When the same guy answered the phone, I yelled "You're an asshole!" and hung up.

I wrote his number down with the word 'asshole' next to it, and put it in my desk drawer. Every couple of weeks, when I was paying bills or had a really bad day, I'd call him up and yell, "You're an asshole!" It always cheered me up.

When Caller ID came to our area, I thought my therapeutic 'asshole' calling would have to stop. So, I called his number and said, "Hi, this is John Smith from the telephone company. I'm calling to see if you're familiar with our Caller ID Program?" He yelled "NO!" and slammed down the phone. I quickly called him back and said, "That's because you're an asshole!"

One day I was at the store, getting ready to pull into a parking spot.

Some guy in a black BMW cut me off and pulled into the spot I had patiently waited for. I hit the horn and yelled that I'd been waiting for that spot. The idiot ignored me. I noticed a "For Sale" sign in his car window, so I wrote down his number.

A couple of days later, right after calling the first asshole (I had his number on speed dial,) I thought that I'd better call the BMW asshole, too.

I said, "Is this the man with the black BMW for sale?"

"Yes, it is."

"Can you tell me where I can see it?"

"Yes, I live at 1802 West 34th Street.. It's a yellow house, and the car is parked right out in front."

What's your name?" I asked.

"My name is Don Hansen," he said.

"When's a good time to catch you, Don?"

"I'm home every evening after five."

"Listen, Don, can I tell you something?"

"Yes?"

"Don, you're an asshole." Then I hung up, and added his number to my speed dial, too. Now, when I had a problem, I had two assholes to call.

Then I came up with an idea. I called Asshole #1. "Hello." "You're an asshole!" (But I didn't hang up.)

"Are you still there?" he asked.

"Yeah," I said.

"Stop calling me," he screamed.

"Make me," I said.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"My name is Don Hansen."

"Yeah? Where do you live?"

"Asshole, I live at 1802 West 34th Street, a yellow house, with my black Beamer parked in front."

He said, "I'm coming over right now, Don. And you had better start saying your prayers."

I said, "Yeah, like I'm really scared, asshole."

Then I called Asshole #2. "Hello?" he said.

"Hello, asshole," I said.

He yelled, "If I ever find out who you are..."

"You'll what?" I said.

"I'll kick your ass," he exclaimed.

I answered, "Well, asshole, here's your chance.. I'm coming over right now."

Then I hung up and immediately called the police, saying that I lived at 1802 West 34th Street, and that I was on my way over there to kill my gay lover.

Then I called Channel 13 News about the gang war going down on West 34th Street. I quickly got into my car and headed over to 34th street.

There I saw two assholes beating the crap out of each other in front of six squad cars, a police helicopter and a news crew.

NOW I feel much better. Anger management really works.

[TeamPooka]

50. god I hope that story is true because I love it.

[imavoter]

51. save everyone's number...the doctor's office, etc

Do not answer the phone unless you recognize the number

I get almost NO spam because I won't answer an number I don't know.
Also I only have my number as my voice mail, so my name and voice is not on my message.

If they really need you, they'll leave a message, and even then usually they don't need you.

[tblue37]

53. Hi, MineralMan. I'm Jennifer. Have there been any calls for me? nt

[keithbvadu2]

54. to them: This is a legitimate debt, right?

to them: This is a legitimate debt, right?
...
You have the original bill/paperwork, right?
...
Please send a copy so it can be verified as genuine.
... What is your address?
It's on the bill.

(Something like that)

[brettdale]

55. Aropund 20 years ago I took a call once the conversation went like this..... (on a landline)

Caller: "Is Michael there"
Me: "Sorry no one by the name of Michael lives here, you must of dialed the wrong number"
Caller: "NO I DIDNT, GIVE ME MICHAEL"
me: "What number did you dial?"
Caller: "This one"
Me: "There is no one named michael that lives at this address"
Caller: "I also rang about the job"

So I kinda got naughty with the caller, I said...

"Oh the job, that I can help you with, you need to go to (I have him the address of an extremely bad gang
we have here) be there at 7am, make sure you knock loudly, so they can hear you and be persistent"

Caller: "I will knock as loud as I want to"

Then the caller hung up.

[zackymilly]

57. Kaye used to have my phone. I wish she would pay her bills too.

Also, if you call 919-867-5309 here in NC, you get to listen to the entire "Jenny" song. The entire song. It starts playing as soon as you call. Whoever owns that number has a good sense of humor.

[NCLefty]

58. I used get spam text messages addressed to a woman (which I'm not).

I knew it was a scam, either way, but it made it much easier to ignore.

[Hekate]

59. Throughout my life there've been a string of 1-digit-off numbers. When I was a kid it was...

...the local Ben Franklin Five & Dime -- Mom finally started snapping, "He's dead!"

When my kids were growing up we kept getting calls for "Sister Jones," who turned out to be the Mormon lady on the next block. I would patiently explain that the caller had flipped a number and should try again...

Lately we've had a bunch of calls for the front desk at some hotel in Hawai'i -- I started asking the callers where they were calling from and what number they were dialing, explaining that they had reached a private residence in Southern California and not a hotel on the Big Island. Turns out the area code on the phone in their room was illegible. I started telling them they needed to let the front desk know that, and the calls have become less frequent.

The only ones that ever disturbed me were from some creep when I was in college. He'd call at night when I was asleep and off-guard. Finally I started reciting the phone company's sing-song out-of-order recording as soon as I recognized who it was: "The number you have dialed is in a nonworking series or has been disconnected. Please hang up, check your number, and dial again. Etc, etc, etc." He finally quit.

Oh, those and the scams from "Microsoft PC support," "the IRS," and "Social Security." I'm inclined to yell at them and say they are committing a crime and their mothers would be ashamed of them. Why bring their gray-haired mothers into it? Because somewhere in India maybe that still matters.

One thing I won't do is recite my own number to strangers. I ask them what number they called and helpfully tell them where they went wrong and let them figure it out from there.

No Jennifer, so far. No persistent bill collectors for strangers. Lucky me, knock wood.