Area Code 500?

I just received a call from 500-000-0000. The caller asked for me by my first name. I asked for the caller's name and he identified himself by his first name, then asked again for me by my first name. I hung up.

I have never received a call from this area code and the seven zeros kind of made me wonder what the deal is. I searched the area code and came up with area code 500 is for Personal Communications Services.

Anybody out there have any idea what this is all about?

Probably just another collections call. If so, they will have to go to the end of the line

Could be a spoofed callerid. I get those all the time nowadays.

maybe it's this?

at the most, it was probably somebody doing data mining...trying to find out if who they have at your number matches what is on their records...they do it for telemarketing purposes.

If you're in debt it could be an attempt to collect a debt.

If you're involved in black projects or the mafia, you might want to take cover. A lot of people worry needlessly, afraid someone is spying on you, but if you're not involved in anything spy-worthy, then no one is probably all that interested in that.

You are good not to give out your name, but try to engage them in conversation to see what it's about next time, without giving your name.

Yeah, probably just a collections call. My cover is too deep for anyone to have cracked it.

Originally posted by sardion2000
Could be a spoofed callerid. I get those all the time nowadays.

How do you spoof a number?

I am curious how this is done, as I am a DMS engineer for a large telco in the UK and as far as I am aware, there is nothing the customer can do to change the number. It has to be done network side for the presentation CLI to be changed from the actual number calling from and this is done to present maybe a NGN instead of a standard PSTN number.

I get calls with strange area codes and prefixes too sometimes. My solution to that is, I always use my caller ID, and screen all incoming calls.

If I do not recognize the number, I don't even pick up. If it is important enough, they can leave a message on my voicemail.

You'd be surprised how many don't leave any message,

[edit on 12/29/2006 by Mechanic 32]

I have CID and I generally follow that protocol, as well. The 500 AC was just part of it. The 000-0000 number really had me wondering. I thought numbers had to have at least one positive integer in them.

No, at least not here in the UK. Number ranges are sold in blocks ranging from 0000-9999

I still haven't had an answer as to how someone can spoof a number.