Received call on 1/18/13. Called number back and got a Verizon message that the number has been disconnected or changed. Obviously this is some kind of scam.
One of a number of calls coming out of DC, identifying itself as "District of Columbia." Has never left a message, just a hangup. Sorry, I'm full up, don't need any. Due to huge volume of uncontrolled solicitation calls and ineptness of of Feds to enforce DNC List, I don't answer any call where I don't recognize the number/caller. I also have a Digitone Call Blocker. It sees incoming number, picks up and hangs up after one ring. This number got blocked today. Blocks any 10 digit phone number from all over the country, Canada, MX, other countries and territories, etc. Verizon only blocks numbers within your local area. Digitone has an 80 number memory. Thanks to calling plans, callers from, say, Seattle can call all day to East Coast. At least with an 800 number, if you or answering maching picked up the call, it cost them. The District of Columbia caller i.d. (falsely) gives you the impression it might be the government of DC calling maybe inducing you to pick up. Good luck kids!
Just because the caller ID reads that the call is from the "District of Columbia" in no way is an indication that it is the government of DC calling you. The caller ID can indicate as such even if the caller is a resident of DC, a business in DC as well as a cell phone with a DC (202 area code) phone number assigned to it. It can also mean that some idiot that is trying to get you to answer the telephone is banking on people being dumb enough to think just as you indicated and would answer the phone so they can further scam you. Also, remember that some of these types of calls occur simply to find out if the number dialed is a working number so they can sell that number all over the world to idiots that don't believe in rules, regulations and laws. So the key move to make no matter what the caller ID reads is: if you don't recognize the caller ID information, do not answer the phone. 9 times out of 10 it is going to be someone hoping you will answer the phone so they can attempt to scam you. We are an the Federal Do not call registry and that is all it is "a registry" of information that goes into a huge data base for use by law enforcement, lawyers, etc if they want to. FCC/FTC does not take action on any complaints filed with the Do not call registry. Your complaint simply becomes a part of the information in the data base and can be used if someone looking through the data base finds your complaint useful in a court case or legal documentations of any type. Don't be fooled into thinking the FTC will act on every complaint filed. Remember to read the fine print!