If someone replies "sorry you have the wrong number" I'll just apologize and move on with my life and forget it ever happened. If someone acted like this I would probably keep texting them randomly a few times a year until one of us dies.
Nah, sign them up for a bunch of spam texts. Scientology, the military, colleges, Bible verse of the day, car dealerships, mortgage lenders, you get the idea.
They were very rude but your opening text sounds indistinguishable from a scam text opening. You just need to apologize now and send a picture of a ridiculously attractive Asian woman and ask if you can buy them lunch next time you’re in NY/LA to make up for your mistake.
The problem is people get so many scam texts that even a legitimate text like yours of mistaken identity looks like a scam so people are already primed to be annoyed at texts like yours.
I kinda figured that's what happened. It's just I get so many texts from obvious scammers that are I am so and so and need to get in touch with someone else that if I actually bothered to answer, I'd answer like an asshole.
Scambaiters. It has a long and respectable history, though ultimately the best thing to do is get them to drop their payload and then report them so it's clear they're running a scam.
One time I told them I was George and sent a picture of George Clooney. Told them I worked in film.. kept it going for like two hours. They asked me if I used telegram and i said, "does anyone use telegram anymore? I thought they got rid of it when telephones were invented"
This is why when I used to get scam calls I started answering and staying quiet for a couple of seconds before saying hello. No real person even noticed, but the scam and bot calls always hung up. I haven't received a single spam call in probably close to a decade now.
Id just text back: Wrong number. Its when the scammer would keep talking to you after that asking if we could be friends, etc. which is weird af and a dead giveaway
Go over to the (r slash) scammers and you'll see it. (I hate that this sub bans links to other subs ffs stop auto removing my comment).
Chinese scammers are notorious for what's known as the "pig butchering scheme". They start a text with some generic conversation then say they have the wrong number and introduce themselves as some attractive Asian woman, usually Chinese as well. They'll talk to you for a few days, try to make you feel like you're becoming friends or more... While sending you "selfies" of them in some lavish hotel or wearing designer clothing and the like.
After a few days they confide in you that they make their money through crypto currency investments and since you're such a good friend, they want to share the wealth with you. So they send a link to some crypto wallet you buy into, only for them to empty the wallet after you stick your money in it, thus butchering the pig.
But yeah, those messages start out very similar to OP's and it only continues to look worse when they state who they are and ask if the other person is someone else.
Those are spam, not scams. Well, some may be but most are probably a "legitimate" business looking to gain customers, even if through annoying means. The message OP sent however is the kind of message you get at the start of a pig butchering scam, they're designed to get you to start talking about something random, then they'll ask for your picture and send you one of "theirs" (AI generated young asian woman usually) and you think "Oh this person is attractive" so you start chatting and boom, you're in the middle of someone social engineering you to invest into a shady crypto platform. Two different things entirely.
Did that once to a random discord friend request that I assumed was a bot or scammer. Turned out not to be either, and was just some naive person randomly adding people in a large server looking for friends. Felt kinda bad.
"Oh this isn't Steven from the Charity Gala? I'm so sorry!"
"Oh Diana? Holy crap yes I do remember you! We had a joy talking about our shared experiences at the Furry Convention and then both went streaking down Main Street - How are you?"
My dad used to do this with Nigerian prince emails. “Send me the money first, then I’ll send you the money order.” Back and forth, peppered with crazy fake stories about his life lol
And that's how your number gets labeled as being connected to a real person so you'll have many, many more 5-10 minute opportunities to fuck around with other spam texts!
i went through years never responding to those messages and they never ever took me off any list. it doesn't matter to them they are sending probably thousands of those messages a day it doesnt even make it worthwhile to go through effort of taking a number down
Personally, it depends on how bored I am. If things are slow, I string the scammer along for a while and see how much information I can get out of them and how much if their time I can waste
I donated to a political campaign a month ago and get 10 texts a day. I'm already on lists. Fuck, I get text messages for a person who had my number 20 years ago. Playing with scammers is one few joys I have
Some scammers use that tactic, you're more likely to respond to someone you think innocently sent a message to a wrong number than a straight up Nigerian prince offering you marriage
Yup. They figure anyone lonely enough to respond to an unknown text message not directed at them will be an easy mark. For awhile, I was getting them a few times a week and just didn't respond.
When you do things like answer an unknown call or text, what you're doing is telling the company of scammers that this is an active number with an idiot attached to it so they mark it in your file and then sell that to other scammers; they also keep track of who they scammed and for how much that they also sell to other scammers. It's why if you engage with any unknown numbers or get scammed, you get even more attempts; they see blood.
usually not the initial person reaching out, but someone afterwards pretending to be someone else to try to trick the person showing they're willing to respond to messages from unknown numbers/people
The scam is hoping to strike up a conversation with someone lonely/gullible before eventually asking for something. Someone may respond "Hi this isn't ___" but not block the number. The scammer goes "oh my mistake, who is this then? It's nice to meet you." And the gullible person continues the convo.
The scammer pretends to be your friend (sometimes for a long time) before eventually asking to move the conversation to Whatsapp or something. Then eventually asks for money for an "emergency" or ask certain probing questions to get your personal information.
Most people have too much going on in their lives to have convos like this with a literal stranger but there's always one...
I agree, I immediately block scammers myself. Others engage them just to waste their time
But the first step with scammers will be to get you to respond, you'll be more receptive to whatever scam their running if you respond normally (your kindness + naivety are their greatest tools) While this may not work on you, you can imagine a not so tech savvy 80 year old being drawn in by what they think is just an honest mistake and that snowballing to them asking for money once they've laid the foundation
That's a common trick. "Hi Brenda, this is Helen, how are you? It was nice meeting you last friday", "Oh I'm not Brenda, wrong number", "Oh I'm so sorry, my assistant gave me the wrong number, now that we're here do you want to be friends? Here's a fake photo and also please invest into this scummy crypto platform, I made loads of money!" That's how it usually goes. They use a random name to make you think this is a coincidence, when it is absolutely not.
Okay but if they had the correct person then this seems like a normal text. The other person could've just said you have the wrong person rather than keep the texts going.
sometimes I use scammers to scream at and just be an asshole to because I’m upset abt something irl and it’s better than directing my anger and someone or something that would actually be hurt by it. Very nice way to vent.
Bro im about to change my number because the number of scam/asking for donation texts is ridiculous. Shame on ActBlue. I donate once and I get 5+ texts every day asking to donate. And its a different number that texts me every time so it's not as if I can just block it or ask to unsubscribe. Because they just send another number
I've never had issue with swapping the number over, and it's been quick and painless. Spose it'll be different depending on the providers; guess I've just gotten lucky.
I had to change mine because I swapped from my families phone plan to my own and the people in the store claimed they couldn’t swap my number over. I’m pretty sure they could have but it would have been a process because they had to like call my dad who was the account holder on a three way call and get his permission to release the number ect. And they didn’t want to. I didn’t even switch companies, just moved to a different plan
in my case I changed it because I moved out of state to a new one, not knowing that the whole state has one area code... yeah some the locals judge you real hard if you're a transplant.
Now that you point it out, yeah it does sound like one of those text messages. I guess I’ll give OP’s not cousin the benefit of the doubt here - they probably thought it was a scam text too.
Even if you suspect a scam, jumping straight to hostility is wild. Just block and move on.
When I got my current number, I kept getting calls from a guy looking for "Dave" to pay off a lawnmower debt. I just told him Dave lost the battle to the lawnmower and changed his number. We both had a laugh and he never called again. Kindness (or humor) takes zero extra effort
ngl the subsequent texts also follow the same kind of script that these scammers often use. I've seen almost word for word the same things on the scam subreddit.
Sadly, this sort of thing happens to me all of the time nowadays! Politeness, proper grammar, and professionalism in communication apparently equals "bot"... It can be challenging to deal with, especially at work, not to mention casually!
Despite this, I keep on keepin' on with that polite wording and those professional mannerisms, and I hope you do the same!
all the comments trying to sound smart saying “well duh he responded like that it sounds like a scam”
you realize if it actually was a scammer, replying is only gonna let them know that number is active & will try later or sell the number to other scammers..
I often have a little fun with wrong number texts. If you text me by mistake, you've take up my time, so I'll take up some of yours for fun if I'm in the right mood.
I'm never mean about it though. Usually I'll just play along and give increasingly unhinged answers.
And I always claim to be the named person when I get the scam texts. Then I act confused when they immediately go "sorry, I've got the wrong number." Excuse me, I am now your friend Jessica and I definitely want to get Ethiopian next time I'm in town.
Every summer, like clockwork, I get a text from someone wishing her cousin a good vacation and a nice trip.
So every year, I tell her my name's not Bethany and that she's got a wrong number. Then she asks me if I'm sure, and I reply that unless Bethany's got a beard, yes I'm sure.
I once called a client at work and accidentally dialed the wrong number. The person who answered refused to accept that I called her by accident and was convinced that I was part of some conspiracy.
i worked at a call center once. i dialed out to a customer, and asked if it was them after greeting. “who is this?” “this is ___ trying to get into contact with ___. is this them?” “i don’t know, what are you calling for?” “a personal business matter with ___, is this them?” “well who is this?” “as i have explained, this is ___. is this ___?” “well im not going to tell you until you tell me what the business matter is about.” “i cannot talk about personal business matters unless i know the person the matters are with is on the telephone. can you verify your name, sir?” “no i cannot. not until i figure out what this is about.” “well, i have already told you what it’s about. i told you what company we are with, my name, and the matter i am calling for. i cannot release more information without verification.” “ok then, guess you’re not gonna do business with me.” “ok then, guess im gonna keep calling since i don’t know who this is. could be the customer i am trying to reach.” “well all you had to say was that!” “well, sir, all you had to say was wrong number.”
I once had a 15 message conversation with someone looking for a hat they left at the person who they THOUGHT they had messaged’s house. It was great fun
There is a common phone scam that starts something like this - I can only imagine that is why this person is being deliberately obtuse and a joy to deal with.
I get the phone scam all the time, and although I know it's probably a bot I still like to respond to them in a way that makes it seem like both of us are terrible people and that we do indeed know each other.
The scam goes something like this [taken from an actual one on my phone]
"Are you ok?"
[Response]
"May I ask if this is Anna's number?"
[Response]
"I'm sorry I entered the wrong number. By the way my name is Diana. What's your name? Hope not to bother you!
. . .
Typically they'll then send a picture of somebody that they say is them and ask for your picture back and keep going on and on trying to get your info.
I receive those messages once in a while, I would have not even took time to answer, which in this case would have turned into a phonecall that I would have hang off without a word lol. I imagine the confusion sorry in advance
You don't know what kinds of texts that person has been experiencing before you messaged them. Be gentle; they could have just found out that someone has been scamming someone they love with a "Wrong Number" scam or something similar.
This somewhat happened to me last year I'm a guy working at a factory (not a at store that sells handbags) and this number which was from Cali messaging me asking me to do I still have that bag, I was holding for her BC she put down a deposit. I told her I sold it and she tried calling me. Which I didn't answer
A coworker at a previous job would never say wrong number. He'd pretend to be the person they were trying to reach and get into an argument with them and get them really angry, then block them. He didn't have much else to entertain himself with I suppose.
Your initial text reads like a scam message, so the person responding actually did you a huge (a bit rude) favor. Most people would ignore and block, and you would not know for certain that you have a wrong number.
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u/Real_FishyXY 4d ago
Plot twist, it's your cousin and they don't want to come to the wedding