AT&T assigned us this number and an hour later we received payday loan calls. It's been 3 months and we received 1-2 calls PER day from payday loans with area codes of Calif. New York, Wa D.C., Texas. Etc. the caller I'D shows a different number each time.
All phone numbers are recycled. No one gets rid of a number without a good reason since it a pain in the butt to notify everyone. So now you know why the former owners got rid of that number.