Hello?

May 25, 2007 3:07 PM

I just received a phone call from what appears to be a US phone, but the number had an area code which hasn't been assigned by NANPA (the area code people).

The call was displayed on my cell phone screen as 420-886-6028. My phone calls it "unnamed." I didn't answer it and I haven't tried to call back, and I don't plan to. No message was left.

A whocalled.us search turned up nothing, and Google doesn't have those digits all together, though the phone number with a different area code came up multiple times.

+420 is the country code for the Czech Republic, but I don't know anyone there.

Ideas?

posted by mdonley to grab bag (15 comments total)

Wrong number?
posted by chillmost at 3:15 PM on May 25, 2007

Telemarketer.
posted by meerkatty at 3:18 PM on May 25, 2007

spoofed caller ID? warning: sound
posted by aberrant at 3:20 PM on May 25, 2007

A big call center can very easily spoof the caller ID data or put invalid numbers in there. I'd take it with a grain of salt.
posted by hodyoaten at 3:23 PM on May 25, 2007

With certain kinds of digital lines, you can send anything you want as the caller ID. It could be a deliberate attempt to spoof, or a simple programming error.
posted by bac at 3:26 PM on May 25, 2007

It's likely to be a Czech number. US caller ID units often cut off the last digits of international numbers.
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 3:30 PM on May 25, 2007

Anyone with a sufficiently advanced PBX can set the caller ID to be whatever they want.
posted by Mitheral at 4:05 PM on May 25, 2007

That area code comes up when my boyfriend's parents call using a calling card. Also 720 I think.
posted by sulaine at 4:21 PM on May 25, 2007

whocalledus.com while no means a definitive source, comes up with nothing. I'd guess wrong number.

And perhaps you cell is different, but unless I program in a persons name, every call that reaches me shows just the number with no name. Perhaps my provider doesn't have contracts to pass the caller ID info, but I thought this was the norm.
posted by quin at 4:24 PM on May 25, 2007

Might be Wisconsin?
posted by Robert Angelo at 7:06 PM on May 25, 2007

or that might be a typo -- NANPA says Wisconsin has 920
posted by Robert Angelo at 7:09 PM on May 25, 2007

I just called the operator out of curiosity, and she too said the only thing that comes up is the country code for the Czec Republic.
posted by Iamtherealme at 8:57 PM on May 25, 2007

My (and most other Sprint phones) show the state a number is located in. Mine agrees with Robert Angelo - Wisconsin.
posted by niles at 9:13 PM on May 25, 2007

My phone, that is.
posted by niles at 9:14 PM on May 25, 2007

Some US Govt. offices also spoof the area codes on outbound calls.
posted by desuetude at 12:19 PM on May 28, 2007