capri0mni: A black Skull & Crossbones with the Online Disability Pride Flag as a background (Kitty!)
[personal profile] capri0mni
Last night / early this morning, at 24 minutes past midnight, I was sitting in here at the computer, toodling away on my 'puter, when I thought I heard my phone's answering machine running (I generally keep the ringer off, these days, so I won't be jangled while I'm writing, only to deal with telemarketers). I couldn't be sure if it was my imagination, though, because the volume was low, and the white noise from my computer's fan muffled it. At first, I was sure it was my imagination, because nobody places calls at 12:24 am. But then I decided to double-check, just in case it was an emergency from home.

There was indeed a message on the phone (which, by now, had hung up), so I hit Play. And heard this (iirc):
An inmate in Norfolk City Jail is trying to make a call. If you attempt to make a three-way call, you will be blocked from using this number for 90 days. If you press your call-waiting option, it may be interprepted as a three-way call. If you wish to accept this call, press "0" and stay on the line. If you wish to block this call, press "5" and hang up. If you wish to block all inmate calls, press "7."

I'm assuming it was a wrong number. I am wishing I had been right there by the phone so I could have picked up the receiver and pressed "7."

But this is my question: What was an inmate in a local city jail doing, making a call anywhere, past midnight? Aren't they all locked up in their cells at that time? And if not, why not? Okay, so that's three questions. But they're sisters.

This is not the first time I've gotten wierd messages on my phone. Most of my messages are just computer clicks and static, which I've been assuming were telemarketers hanging up when they got the machine. But I've also gotten other messages of "hold" music and third party voices asking who's there... So I wonder.

(Okay, my aide came in while I was typing this up, and when I told her about the wierd message, she said it sounded like one of those phone scams going around, that, when you press one of the options, it reroutes your phone, and hijacks it for another use. So it's probably a good thing I was away and unable to press "7.")

Date: 2006-05-09 07:41 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] indefatigable42.livejournal.com
Contact someone at Norfolk City Jail and ask if they have such a message? If they're a real jail and someone is using their name in a scam, they'll want to know about it.

Date: 2006-05-10 04:31 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] clamnebula.livejournal.com
I agree with the above suggestion, and maybe if it happens again you could dial *69, and then see what phone number you actually get. Also, I'm not sure if you have caller ID, but if so then you can look to see what number the call comes from, and if it's not legit, report it to the phone company.

-Neb
(who wishes he had less automated telemarketing messages on his answering machine per day!)

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