Coincidence? Or no? Need tech-savvy people on this one

[Beware of Junk Psychology...]

Hi Family,

Just to give quick background - started receiving blocked calls ("Private Name - Private Number" to my home phone at the start of this past October Always on either a Monday or a Thursday (the ex's days off). Never a message. Never on the weekend when I and my partner would both be home. October is the anniversary month of the official "discard" by the ex.

The blocked calls continued up until the middle of November. Then - completely stopped. Now, I do know the difference between an "Unknown" call and a "Private" call. If it had been the ex calling - it makes sense that the calls stopped mid-November. All of his big family gatherings start around that time and he would have been occupied with all of the preparations / planning. 

Fast-forward to this month. The calls have started again. Same pattern. Only now - I'm getting calls to my mobile phone. I don't answer calls from numbers that I don't recognize. This recent one - though - is weird. Has happened three times now. Monday, Thursday and Saturday. No message. The phone number calling is identical to my cell phone (including area code) except for the first digit of the last four. It's a (2) instead of a (4). 

The call on Saturday - I actually answered it. Thought it might be a co-worker calling. When I said hello - I could hear background noise. Music and folks talking. Like in a restaurant. My ex is a chef. After saying hello - no one responsed. I waited a few seconds for a response and the other party hung up.

So my question is - are there phone apps available where you can choose a phone number to use? If something like this exists - the ex would find it! And could it be him calling? I don't see why. We've not spoken in over two years now.

Would appreciate any "app savvy" or cell phone savvy folks to lend their thoughts on this.

Thanks!   

[lipstick]

Hi Family,

Just to give quick background - started receiving blocked calls ("Private Name - Private Number" to my home phone at the start of this past October Always on either a Monday or a Thursday (the ex's days off). Never a message. Never on the weekend when I and my partner would both be home. October is the anniversary month of the official "discard" by the ex.

The blocked calls continued up until the middle of November. Then - completely stopped. Now, I do know the difference between an "Unknown" call and a "Private" call. If it had been the ex calling - it makes sense that the calls stopped mid-November. All of his big family gatherings start around that time and he would have been occupied with all of the preparations / planning. 

Fast-forward to this month. The calls have started again. Same pattern. Only now - I'm getting calls to my mobile phone. I don't answer calls from numbers that I don't recognize. This recent one - though - is weird. Has happened three times now. Monday, Thursday and Saturday. No message. The phone number calling is identical to my cell phone (including area code) except for the first digit of the last four. It's a (2) instead of a (4). 

The call on Saturday - I actually answered it. Thought it might be a co-worker calling. When I said hello - I could hear background noise. Music and folks talking. Like in a restaurant. My ex is a chef. After saying hello - no one responsed. I waited a few seconds for a response and the other party hung up.

So my question is - are there phone apps available where you can choose a phone number to use? If something like this exists - the ex would find it! And could it be him calling? I don't see why. We've not spoken in over two years now.

Would appreciate any "app savvy" or cell phone savvy folks to lend their thoughts on this.

Thanks!   

[ShadowIntheNight]

The answer is yes there are apps that can be used to alter the number that is calling you. I had something similar happen. I started receiving PRIVATE NUMBER hang ups starting the first of September. I would get about 2 or 3 a month. In December I received two in one week and one the next. I haven't had a single one since that call and it's been over a month. I presume it means whomever she latched on to has made her life just perfect for now. And never having received PN calls and being hung up on til she ended our relationship in August! I know the difference too. Go with your gut. But who can tell you why they call and don't speak. It makes no sense to me.

[lipstick]

ShadowInTheNight,

Thank you for your response. Yes, I do think it's him. I've never answered any of the other calls prior to this one. Hearing the background noise on the call made me think he was calling from his place of employment. Perhaps prior to leaving for the day. If it was him - it probably surprised him when I answered! 

I'm not surprised that there's an app to choose what phone number you wish to use. The ex also had a second "burner" phone that was one of those "pay as you go" things. He likes utilizing "sneaky" technology.

I'm with you - it makes no sense!

[JRT]

in the US... .I think if you want to make private your number you *69 then dial the number

[lipstick]

JRT,

Yes, you're correct. That is how you disguise your number. There are also apps out there that allow you to select a phone number to use when placing a call on your mobile phone. Although the call that I received was from a Verizon wireless number. Don't know if it's possible to "pick" a random Verizon cellular number to use.

[JRT]

I am pretty sure here that its the ex calling and I am not sure that the ability to mask the actual number is anything to consider... .its pretty obvious.

[lipstick]

JRT,

I dunno. I did a reverse look-up on the number. Said the owner lived in one city near me. Then another site said the owner lived in a distant part of the state. It just seems really odd that the number is IDENTICAL to my cell # with the one-digit exception. If the first call had been just a wrong number  - then they wouldn't have called again. Perhaps a butt dial? However, once I said hello - a few seconds ticked by - then the caller disconnected.

Weird. All of my contacts are programmed into my phone. Their name & picture come up when they call. This was no one I know.

[JRT]

You are saying that you did a revers lookup on a 'private caller' number? I might not have understood this properly.

[lipstick]

You are saying that you did a revers lookup on a 'private caller' number? I might not have understood this properly.

JRT,

No - I did a reverse look up on the number that called my cell phone. The Private calls are coming in on our house phone (landline). No way to check those. I've just started receiving the calls from a local # to my cell phone. That number is almost identical to my cell phone #. Off by one digit. My ex does not live locally. He's about two hours away with a completely different area code.

[ShadowIntheNight]

You are saying that you did a revers lookup on a 'private caller' number? I might not have understood this properly.

JRT,

No - I did a reverse look up on the number that called my cell phone. The Private calls are coming in on our house phone (landline). No way to check those. I've just started receiving the calls from a local # to my cell phone. That number is almost identical to my cell phone #. Off by one digit. My ex does not live locally. He's about two hours away with a completely different area code.

She's never called on my cell just my landline. Hence the private numbers as you mentioned. I think she might be afraid to call my cell as she isn't sure if the technology on it could uncover that it was her calling. And our primary conversations were her calling me on my landline as I was usually at home and that's how we had communicated throughout the majority of our relationship. I confess that it bothers me that they've stopped. That's how I'm pretty sure it's been her. One of the last calls I got in Dec was at the exact time she called me every evening for 6 years. I was having dinner and the phone hadn't rung at that time in several months. It shocked me, and shocked me even more when it said private number on the caller id. I picked up and said hello three times and click, the phone was hung up. My therapist and I pretty much decided she wanted me to know it was her by calling then.

[Suzn]

I've read most companies (landline) allow you to activate Anonymous Call Rejection by dialing *77. If it doesn't work call them and ask what will. It keeps private or blocked numbers from getting through.

I'd change my cell number. It's an invasion on your peace for this person to continue to harass you.

[JRT]

You are saying that you did a revers lookup on a 'private caller' number? I might not have understood this properly.

JRT,

No - I did a reverse look up on the number that called my cell phone. The Private calls are coming in on our house phone (landline). No way to check those. I've just started receiving the calls from a local # to my cell phone. That number is almost identical to my cell phone #. Off by one digit. My ex does not live locally. He's about two hours away with a completely different area code.

She's never called on my cell just my landline. Hence the private numbers as you mentioned. I think she might be afraid to call my cell as she isn't sure if the technology on it could uncover that it was her calling. And our primary conversations were her calling me on my landline as I was usually at home and that's how we had communicated throughout the majority of our relationship. I confess that it bothers me that they've stopped. That's how I'm pretty sure it's been her. One of the last calls I got in Dec was at the exact time she called me every evening for 6 years. I was having dinner and the phone hadn't rung at that time in several months. It shocked me, and shocked me even more when it said private number on the caller id. I picked up and said hello three times and click, the phone was hung up. My therapist and I pretty much decided she wanted me to know it was her by calling then.

Thats what I was guessing... .