Last nite I received a call from Privacy Manager, and I was unable to answer. It rang 4 times and quit. Then it rang again, it was Take A Message. Again, I did not answer, and it quit after 4 rings. My answering machine doesn't pick up until after 5 rings. It turned out to be a tech support guy from my DSL phone line provider. Their outgoing phone numbers are blocked for obvious reasons. He sent me an email, asking when was a good time to call me today. We have since spoken, my DSL problems are resolved, and all is good.
These guys are bill collectors. Contacted AT&T - they referred me to the FTC. They said to get a mailing address to mail a request in writing to stop calling my home. Send it certified with return receipt but when I ask for the address they hang up on me. They have been calling for about two years now, about every 1-2 months. Every time they call I call the FTC so they can establish a pattern of harrassment. Just answering the phone and talking to them does no good, even asking them where to send money by mail doesn't work. They want credit card #s or bank acct.#s. There's no way to I.D. them except through the FTC orsome other gov't. agency. AT&T just pushes it off onto someone else.
Same thing as you- they've called about once a month for almost two years now. I'm on the do-not-call but that doesn't work. In my case they're looking for someone who used to live here that owes several businesses money. I've tried lying to them to get their mailing address but they won't take mail payments, just debit/credit #'s and checking acct info. So they've got to be a scam. I suspect they get lists of people delinquent on credit accounts and try to get the money they owe saying they are the real debtor when they aren't. I keep calling the Fed. Trade Commmission to complain each time they call. Maybe I should tell them the # belongs to AT&T as a generic number. You're right- this is definitely a scam.
I got a call this afternoon with the above caller ID. My privacy manager said the call was the Oregon State Penitentiary. I did not accept. It is well known that inmates get a hold of calling cards and make random calls to try and illict funds from unsuspecting people. We tried calling the number back and it is disconnected.
This number called me, but the party had hung up before I could answer it. All I got was a dial-tone. The only reason I'm looking up this number is because it looked familiar. I think this has happened multiple times before.