800-555-1212

no message left

yup me to no message left either.

This number Caller ID: 1-800-555-1212 showed up on my phone a few times now, but no name and no message left. I called it back out of curiosity after looking it up online and it's a toll-free directory assistance, kind of like 411 but for 1-800 numbers.

That doesn't explain why it called ME though.

ya it showed on mine and i answered but there was no one there so i hung up, normally a telemarketer would have started their spiel, so i wonder wtf that was about?!

I just got a call from that number, after the message bob posted it asked me to press 9 to speak to a rep. The guy said hello and wanted to know who he was speaking to. I said "I'm not giving you my name, but please take me off this list." He hung up.

I get several calls a week from this number...I don't bother to answer...I know this number is posted in my local phone directory as directory assistance so who are they calling people??

I work for a Physician.  I just took a call from 800-555-1212.  The person identified himself as a physician in New York and asked how many Doctors were in our practice then asked for the fax number.  When I asked him what it was regarding he said he wanted to refer patients to us.  I said we weren't located in New York and he said "I know, my wife runs a hospital there and we are moving to Canada so she wants to refer patients. Give me the fax number".  When I began to protest he just hung up.  Called the number back and it says it is directory assistance.

You need to understand that unless the caller's phone service is through a major carrier, they can make the caller ID (CID) be whatever they want (known as "masking").  Major carriers (AT&T/MCI/etc.) enforce the actual CID because they control that service.  However, a company/individual can set up a special server called Asterisk, and they can generate calls from this server and control the CID to be whatever they want.

Asterisk is a set of phone tools and software running on Linux that creates a virtual PBX, or a local version of a telephone carrier.  Asterisk itself is free and can be run from inside your own house/business using telephone or internet lines.  It supports multiple lines, and a whole suite of professional company phone features.  In some cases this is a bad thing, especially when you have malicious callers that are using one.  The good news is that they still have to pay per-minute.  Typically around 1.5 cents a minute.  So if you know they're not who they say they are, and the CID doesn't reveal anything useful, keep 'em on the line.  It's costing them money every minute you waste with them. ;-)

A masked CID is very hard to trace.  It can jump from PSTN (telephone) to Internet, and back to PSTN again (or many "hops" between both types of connections, depending on where they are, and how they've chosen to "terminate" the call).

When in doubt, ask for a call-back number, and verify the number that way.  If they give an excuse to prevent that, you may as well hang up.  If they're legitimate, they'll call back.  Otherwise they'll move on to the next easy target.

Hope this clarifies some things.

-Scamper

P.S.- Calls using an Asterisk server can originate anywhere in the world.  They can also have a "local" callback number you can call that really ends in another country.  This wouldn't cost you money to call though.  This can be a slightly confusing concept, but remember that the internet is a powerful system and can route calls anywhere for free once it hits the internet as a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) session.

Also, I don't want to give Asterisk a bad rap.  Asterisk servers are 99% a good thing.  They provide services that compete against major phone carriers at a fraction of the cost.

A good rule of thumb is to not trust a caller until they can prove themselves.  And anytime someone calls you to get any kind of information (fax number, "verify" your bank account, etc.), it's typically a scam.  Even if they say they are your bank calling to alert you to potential identity theft, don't give them any information.  Tell them you will call the number on the back of your card to resolve the problem.  If they argue it, you know they're scammers.  Just be careful what you give out to untrusted/unidentifiable callers.

yeah, this stupid number calls at least and i say at least two-three times a day!!! asking for someone who is not us...i finally answered it and said we are not whom they are asking for and the stupid guy hung up on me....even later they called back again, and now they're just not answering......i called my phone service and they said there's not a way to block the number.....  does anyone know how i can block this number so i can stop them from calling my house????

Got a call from 800-555-1212 here at a Fire Station. A guy on the other end said, "Is the Chief in?". I said, "he is out of the Station, can I help you or have the Chief return your call?". He says, "What's his cell phone number?" (like I just hand that out to everyone I talk to that calls from an 800#). I said, "excuse me?", not sure I understood his meaning. He says, "WHAT.. IS.. HIS.. CELL.. PHONE.. NUM.. BER..?) I said, "I'm sorry, I can't give that number out, can I have him return your call?", (we are supposed to be polite here at the fire station.. grr). He just hung up. I REALLY wanted to talk to him again, however the reverse directory comes up as the 800# directory service. I wouldn't answer this #, this person is clearly a salesperson who's dealings require that his caller ID not be traceable back to him. This person/company is a coward.

I got a call from the 800-555-1212.I strongly believe it's a bunch of fraudsters,messing with folks...
I live in Africa precisely Ghana. I know the internet can enable someone calling from even Java, seem like they're living in the states. Nigeria is well known in that department. I suggest people should be careful of giving out personal details to such numbers.

It's the number for toll-free directory assistance.

I just got a call from 1-800-555-1212, they said they were the big publishing company above all the popular magazines out there. They said I was a preferred customer. The guy asked me to talk to his supervisor and tell her he was nice and curtious. He put me on hold and I hung up. They called back and the "supervisor" started asking a bunch of questions because they were "updating" their system, then asked for my banks routing number. I didn't give it to them, so the lady said they'd ship me all the info in a package.I believe it's a big scam. Don't give them any information, it's not legit. Then... I called back and it's a free information number like 411. Be careful!!!

tollfree for 800 info

the reason this numbers keeps calling its because they are useuing there computer to verify that your number is still in service for there logs and once this is verifyed they dont have it set to stop checking so it pranks you constanly. this is a probelm that they dont care to fix because its no bother to them and dont interfare with there doings so why fix it.

calls about 5 times a day everyday and leaves silance

It's a Diractary number.
We are doing an author research paper
in our english class so our teacher gave us this number
to call and to get more information and stuff

I cannot believe this is happening!  I have just endured months & months of 1-239-498-3522.  One of the multitude of victims finally got some action and the number cannot exist after April 19.  The Fed stepped in.  Rejoicing that the end was near, I got a call from this number, foolishly thinking it was directory assistance I answered.  I got a recording about my credit card rate and a soon to expire opportunity.  Good Grief!  Thank God others have gone before me.  Scamper, thanks for the education.  All I can I say is go www.donotcall.gov and report it.  That's how they got the above mentioned finally killed.

Called left no message