creepy wrong numbers....

sophRI · May 6, 2007

I've been living here for a few months now, just wondering if this is a DR thing or just my luck... or perhaps I am missing some brilliant telemarketing scheme...

At least once every few days, I get a phone call from someone (male) that is clearly a wrong number -- when I ask who they are it is always a name I don't recognize, and when I ask who they are looking for, they say "you", when I tell them they have the wrong number, they say, no, I want to talk with you in kind of a sketchy tone. I would think that it was the same person, except that this has now happened on our home line and both cell phones, and the voices aren't the same....

Is this a common thing? It kind of creeps me out a bit, except that our numbers aren't listed with our name anywhere so, as with so many things here, I assume it's nothing personal...

Also, it seems when people call here they usually ask who you are before saying who they are -- given the above, I usually don't give my name. Is this the norm?

Thanks!

Mirador · May 6, 2007

sophRI said:
....Is this a common thing? It kind of creeps me out a bit, except that our numbers aren't listed with our name anywhere so, as with so many things here, I assume it's nothing personal... QUOTE]

I'm certain it's the authorities. They're obviously checking on you. The fact that you are listed under another name ("as with so many things here") has attracted suspicion. Your are right, it's nothing personal.

SKY · May 6, 2007

Anyone that calls me in the DR or anywhere else and asks who is speaking gets hung up on with no response from me. If they call back I don't hang up. I put the phone down and continue whatever I was doing . After a few minutes I pick up the phone and they are gone. Usually for good. They don't like to pay to talk to themselves.

mountainfrog · May 6, 2007

Careful with Numbers

sophRI said:
.... I want to talk with you in kind of a sketchy tone. I would think that it was the same person, except that this has now happened on our home line and both cell phones, and the voices aren't the same....

Ask the caller for his name and have it spelled.
Ask him what he wants.
Get caller-ID.

Go back in your memory and make a list of all the names of people you gave your numbers to.

Do not dish out your number too freely.

m'frog

Robert · May 6, 2007

We get 2-3 everyday at the office. It's amazing how many people ask who they are calling. Idiots!

MrMike · May 6, 2007

It's simple.

Half of the time they dialed the wrong number and when someone of an unexpected gender picks up they want to know who is sleeping with their sweetheart. They will keep calling you by pressing "redial" and most likely never realize they mis-dialed the first time. Often this happens when people are drunk-dialing. Since Brugal is the only affordable drink for most Dominicans these days it is probably going to happen more and more, but has been happening to me for 8 years now.

The other half of the time these calls come from a jealous spouse or lover checking through their sweetheart's phone logs, recently dialed calls or even phone bill trying to find out who is getting some on the side from their precious little barrio girl/boy. If if you don't tell them who you are they become convinced you are their romantic rival and will try to annoy you to death by calling back over and over.

Best thing to say is: "Yes it's me. She says I'm ten times better than you." You can read about the murder in the paper the next day.

Lambada · May 6, 2007

If you want to play with the caller just repeat everything they say using the same inflections..........so you get 6 lots of quien me habla? & then they think they're talking to a moron & give up. Alternatively, saying nothing & just doing the heavy breathing routine often works wonders.

Don't get creeped out sophRI. It happens all the time, nothing to get alarmed about.

Chirimoya · May 6, 2007

It's the oral culture - people don't write phone numbers down so they're bound to make mistakes sometimes. When they say "quien me habla" I just say "dimelo usted".

MrMike said:
You can read about the murder in the paper the next day.

I fear that Mr C may have caused one or two 'domestics' in his time. His response to serial wrong numbers is:
"Julieta? No, Julieta se fue para Palenque esta ma?ana. En un motoconcho. S?, con un grupo de tigueres".

miguel · May 6, 2007

Muy simple.....

I have a simple solution for your problems:

1- If his number doesn't appear in your called id, tell him that you are busy at the moment and that you need his number and you will call him back in a few minutes.

If he does, start calling that number at all times of the day, even at 1,2,3 oclock in the morning and when the person picks up, just tell him: "como te gusta, hijo de perro"!. Watch how soon those calls will stop!.

2- When someone calls and right away they ask "con quien hablo?" or "quien eres tu?", take a page from "The President's" book, tell that person:

"mira baboso, mal educado, tu estas llamando a mi telefono asi que dime TU quien eres o te tranco el telefono ahora mismo, CONAAAAAAAAAAAAZO!!!!!.

It sounds something like "Look axxhole, uneducated, you are calling my phone so YOU tell me who you are or I'll hang up on you, F**************CK!!!". More of less, hahaha.

Problem solved!!.

You have to give those morons a taste of their own medicine.

Btw: have you thought that maybe someone in your household gave your number to someone who is NOT supposed to have it?. Perhaps someone is trying to tell you something, in NOT so many words.

Rick Snyder · May 6, 2007

SophRI,

Having lived here 11 years and having always had caller ID along with having seen at least one telephone exchange in this country I can say the following;

Due to the age of some of the phone system here the possibility of one or two digit crossovers here happens from time to time. This means that if you dial a 2 there is a chance of the exchange registering a 3 in its place therefore insuring that a wrong number is reached. Isn't always the case but does happen frequently here.

The "con quien hablo?" is a custom here held by many people to include my wife. When she calls a friend and doesn't recognize the voice of the person she is talking to it will be the first words out of her mouth. 90% of the calls coming to my house all commence with "con quien hablo?" from the caller.

My suggestion to you would be that if you answer your phone and they don't ask for you by name that you always say, "Est? equivocado" and hang up.

Rick

Rattus_Rattus · May 6, 2007

Maybe someone are trying to find out when your not answering your telephone.. Then they know when you are NOT at home.

Hmm I remember i once bought this little book from a company named Paladin Press- whats the name of this cute little book again?? Ahh yes: Homemade Grenades & mines...:ninja:

2LeftFeet · May 6, 2007

Wow!!!!

Jeez-- Homemade grenades and mines??????:surprised --- now that's a coffee table book to have when your mother-in-law shows up unexpectedly jajajaja

eztime · May 6, 2007

and talking about the phone company I live in the states.and had been receiving won't phone numbers from time to time..it came to find out that the phone service was having problems and every time someone would call they would get the phone digits off by one number..so yes sometimes that happens..but what would usually happen is if someone will call me..and ask who is this my reply would be who are you calling..was sometimes they would ask what number is this..my reply would be what number did you call..after a while the person was not calling especially if you tell them to hold onto one minute..and that this steady on a dead phone while the minutes ring up up to while it would be too costly for them to make bogus calls then they will stop..

Chip00 · May 6, 2007

It's funny as we also get a lot of unsolicited calls becasue apparently our number must be similar to the local sheel station becasue sometimes people say "is there gas". When they do ask me "Quien me habla" I usually answer "el dueno do la cas" to which they usually respond "perdoname" and hang up.

I also have been guilty of calling a number and asking what is the business name is simply because a lot of times here in Santiago they don't say what the name of the business is for some unknown reason - it would be nice if a Dominican could explain that to me.

rellosk · May 7, 2007

MrMike said:
Best thing to say is: "Yes it's me. She says I'm ten times better than you." You can read about the murder in the paper the next day.

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

Chirimoya · May 7, 2007

Chip00 said:
I also have been guilty of calling a number and asking what is the business name is simply because a lot of times here in Santiago they don't say what the name of the business is for some unknown reason - it would be nice if a Dominican could explain that to me.

Not just businesses! When you phone a large international organisation's offices here first you get the recorded message that confirms you've reached them, instructing you to press the extension number if you know it. If you don't, you are invited to select the '0' operator option, but then you get a person saying "hello" in a tone of voice that makes it sound as if they're surprised to receive a phone call, or as if a passing cleaner or security guard had happened to pick up the phone.

My reaction is to ask if that really is the XXXXXXXX XXXXX XXXXXXXXX in Santo Domingo.

dv8 · May 7, 2007

i gladly admit i have no idea what a person calling me wants, it's always harder to understand foreign language on the phone.
whoever they ask to speak to - my understanding goes that far - is just say: "es muerte" and hang up.
as to the home phone - i never pick it up!

something_of_the_night · May 7, 2007

The fun part is when, from a central office, you do a drop-and-insert with someone's originating number, then call someone else and insult them.

Eventually, the called party will do his best Dumb-minican and challenge the calling party to "bring it on."

"Well, give me your address, biatch, and I'll come over and bang on your door then on your face, biatch."

Then you call a cab and give him the address with instructions to knock very, very hard, since you are hard of hearing.

(This would be fun near the 215 NPA)

-The Kid

Nikki Simon · May 7, 2007

Confusion

Since the 829 code came in, alot of people are misdialing and still dialing 809. I get a few calls like that.

Chopical · May 7, 2007

It could be an on going prank call. I would get those constantly when I lived on campus, actually a lot of people would. Probably because anyone on campus could just pick up the phone and dial any four numbers (an extention) then be connected to someone else on campus.

I wouldn't worry about it unless they threaten you though you could prolly call your phone company explain the situation and have your number changed or screen your calls (caller Id or answering machine).

creepy wrong numbers....

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