What Would You Do?

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I got a text back in August from someone with an area code of 858 which is San Diego California. I don't know anyone in California, however, they knew my name and asked if it was still my number with a crazy smile face thingy. Would you send a text asking who they are? Or leave it alone?

I don't respond to anything I can't verify as being from someone I actually know or have known in the past. I find mystery stressful, particularly that kind.

That text might be anything from a spammy sales thing from a company who bought your number from a list and just want to sell you something, all the way to some kind of phishing thing with more sinister aims.

I wouldn't respond at all. Block the number and delete the message.

I'd respond and ask who it was, it's probably an old friend who relocated - if not, then just block the number.

People do relocate so it could be an old friend; but then surely they would say who they were, like "Hey Angela, is this still your number? This is me, Sally from gym class [or book club, etc]; relocated to CA."

I didn't like that they didn't identify themselves. I'm just wondering if it could have been Mr. Alaska -my guy friend from Alaska that I spoke to everyday for 4 yrs. He's been to California before. He got married and his new wife forbid us to ever talk anymore which I understand. He was a big flirt though and might have been trying to reconnect. He would always come back whenever one of his relationships failed. He got married probably 4 yrs or so ago and I didn't see him married too long. I miss him, but he really wasn't my type - too much of a player and not what I was looking for in a relationship. There must have been something there though for us to keep talking everyday for 4yrs (someone's for hours). I guess you could assume he sure wasn't Aspie, huh? I sure do miss him.
But you're right- it could be someone trying to get info out of me. I had my Facebook acct hacked where they tried to act like one of my friends to get info out of me. I think I'll leave it alone.

I'm with BirdInFlight on this one. I would've deleted it and given it no more thought. That said I've only gotten two texts that weren't from someone I knew. Both were clearly not for me, and I just deleted them.
Once I got a text from someone I know that wasn't to me, but to her boss who had the same name as me. I texted her back to let her know she had sent it to the wrong person.

People who don't identify themselves on first contact usually have a reason, and that reason may not be a friendly one. For example, I received a similar message a few years ago. I kept asking who he was, until he finally gave me a phone number I could call. I traced that number to a debt collections agency that had been harassing me to pay my ex-wife's debts in the late 1980s - from the time the divorce was final to the time I moved to another state.

My ex-wife had defaulted on a mortgage, maxed out her credit cards, and used our former home as her billing address. Naturally, instead of going after her under her new name (she had re-married and also moved out of state), the debt collectors came after me.

I turned the matter over to my lawyers, and haven't heard from the debt collectors since. Had I contacted the debt collectors myself, they would likely have levied liens and garnishments against me, even though my ex-wife had run up those debts herself after our divorce was finalized.

In this case, the debt collections agent did not want to reveal his identity to me because he did not want to give me any opportunity to defend myself from his intended onslaught of lawsuits he would have filed against me. Debt collectors can get very nasty once they've "bought the debt" from whatever business they think you owe money to, and this debt collector had purchased nearly a quarter-million dollars worth of debt from the companies that my ex-wife owed money to - maybe for pennies on the dollar, but that was still tens of thousands of dollars he stood to lose if he couldn't collect.

So, what would I do? Exactly as I described. Get a call-back number from the other person, trace its origins using any on-line service (or just google it), and if it turns out to be from a scammer, a debt collector, or anyone else that you'd rather not deal with, then turn it over to your lawyers and let them handle it.

OH CRAP! CRAP! CRAP! CRAP CRAP CRAP! I just got this damn new cell phone and I don't know how it works completely. I tried to swipe the text off that I was going to send and before I knew it the phone called the damn number!! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! Crap! I had to turn the phone completely off because I didn't know how to stop the call! Now whoever it was knows that I called!

What do I do? Oh Lord help me!

The caller ID will have my name on it! How could I have been so stupid! The damn phone has you delete emails by swiping them off and I thought the crappy text stuff would be the same.

Wait, I think I can block that number.

Now I don't even know how to turn the phone on. The salesperson guy didn't think about that did he? I hate new devices. I'm hopeless.

if they know who you are and you aren't "on the run" from an abusive ex or something then I don't see why you wouldn't be curious who it is if they in fact do know your name

I always wonder about which people remember me

Ok. I was able to figure out how to turn the phone back on (no laughing) and I figured out how to block the number.

I just don't think it's a good idea because I really don't know who it is and they should've identified themselves unless they're hiding something.

Have you googled the number yet?

Oh, sorry. No I haven't yet. Hold on......

I never get good info when I do this. It says its San Diego California and a landline. Thats it. Am I doing something wrong?

Then i get these background checking places that you have to pay for to get more info. Nothing is for free.

And how can it be a landline if I got a text?