YACT: ADT SECURITY calls my cell to tell me that alarm I don't even have went off...

[NeoPTLD]

In the last few months, I've received about five calls on my cellphone from ADT security asking if I'm some hispanic name I don't even know and that my burglar alarm went off. Either someone who had my number before me or my number got entered into system due to a typographical error.

Everytime they call me, I tell them whoever that person they always ask for(can't remember the name) doesn't have this number anymore and to take me off the list. They tell me "I'll see what we can do about it"

I just got another one last night at 2AM. Again, they ask for that same person. I tell them they've got the wrong person and they need to take me off the list.

caller:
unknown
800-238-2727
1:59AM 10/30/03

them "is this <that guy's name?>, this is <her name> with ADT and I am calling to inform you that your alarm system went off"

me "No it isn't, you have the wrong person, please take my number of the account of whoever with my # on their their account"
"
Them "i need to have your name and your number"
me "you aren't looking for me, you keep calling this # for someone else"
them "well, we need to have your name"
me "I'm not giving you that information. You have the wrong #"
them "well, we can't take your number off your list unless you give us your name and number"
me.. it was 2AM.. i was sleeping.. i wasn't going to deal with her, so I hung up.

They've no right to threaten to keep calling me unless I give them my personal information. I don't have a security system, I am not that guy and they've no business verifying beyond the fact I am not the guy they're trying to reach.

What can I do w/o giving in on their demand to invade my privacy?

 

[tweakmm]

Have you tried calling ADT?

 

[Turkish]

dude, are you sure this is ADT? check that 800 number and be sure that it is ADT. I heard a couple of stories where an 800 number calls to check if it is this guy and etc, and then tells that your alarm system went off. when the guy says no i dont have an alarm system and it's not me, they just wait for the perfect time to get in your place and rob the monkey out of you... check the #.

edit: call 800-238-4459 and ask if that toll free number is theirs. if yes, then ask if they have called your number at that given time. if no, someone is on you.

 

[NeoPTLD]

Originally posted by: Xiety
dude, are you sure this is ADT? check that 800 number and be sure that it is ADT. I heard a couple of stories where an 800 number calls to check if it is this guy and etc, and then tells that your alarm system went off. when the guy says no i dont have an alarm system and it's not me, they just wait for the perfect time to get in your place and rob the monkey out of you... check the #.

The number that displays on caller ID indeed traces back to ADT.

 

[Turkish]

Originally posted by: NeoPTLD

Originally posted by: Xiety
dude, are you sure this is ADT? check that 800 number and be sure that it is ADT. I heard a couple of stories where an 800 number calls to check if it is this guy and etc, and then tells that your alarm system went off. when the guy says no i dont have an alarm system and it's not me, they just wait for the perfect time to get in your place and rob the monkey out of you... check the #.

The number that displays on caller ID indeed traces back to ADT.

hmmm, so did you get an automatic trace back and ADT answered your phone? And how can you know the other side was ADT even after the trace back? I would still call the number i gave above and check. goodluck.

 

[NeoPTLD]

Originally posted by: Xiety

Originally posted by: NeoPTLD

Originally posted by: Xiety
dude, are you sure this is ADT? check that 800 number and be sure that it is ADT. I heard a couple of stories where an 800 number calls to check if it is this guy and etc, and then tells that your alarm system went off. when the guy says no i dont have an alarm system and it's not me, they just wait for the perfect time to get in your place and rob the monkey out of you... check the #.

The number that displays on caller ID indeed traces back to ADT.

hmmm, so did you get an automatic trace back and ADT answered your phone? And how can you know the other side was ADT even after the trace back? I would still call the number i gave above and check. goodluck.

I typed the # on caller ID into google and it came back as ADT.

 

[Turkish]

Originally posted by: NeoPTLD

Originally posted by: Xiety

Originally posted by: NeoPTLD

Originally posted by: Xiety
dude, are you sure this is ADT? check that 800 number and be sure that it is ADT. I heard a couple of stories where an 800 number calls to check if it is this guy and etc, and then tells that your alarm system went off. when the guy says no i dont have an alarm system and it's not me, they just wait for the perfect time to get in your place and rob the monkey out of you... check the #.

The number that displays on caller ID indeed traces back to ADT.

hmmm, so did you get an automatic trace back and ADT answered your phone? And how can you know the other side was ADT even after the trace back? I would still call the number i gave above and check. goodluck.

I typed the # on caller ID into google and it came back as ADT.

i see. weird. well goodluck.

 

[NeoPTLD]

By the way, I have called Verizon Wireless and they tell me that blocking specific numbers from making calls to my phone isn't something they can do

 

[phonemonkey]

Originally posted by: Xiety

Originally posted by: NeoPTLD

Originally posted by: Xiety

Originally posted by: NeoPTLD

Originally posted by: Xiety
dude, are you sure this is ADT? check that 800 number and be sure that it is ADT. I heard a couple of stories where an 800 number calls to check if it is this guy and etc, and then tells that your alarm system went off. when the guy says no i dont have an alarm system and it's not me, they just wait for the perfect time to get in your place and rob the monkey out of you... check the #.

The number that displays on caller ID indeed traces back to ADT.

hmmm, so did you get an automatic trace back and ADT answered your phone? And how can you know the other side was ADT even after the trace back? I would still call the number i gave above and check. goodluck.

I typed the # on caller ID into google and it came back as ADT.

i see. weird. well goodluck.

I remember reading a few months ago about a way to spoof the number that you're calling from. I can't remember how it was done exactly, but you had to have access to a PBX system.

If I were you, I'd call ADT and see if they've got your number listed for the guy's name. Also, I'd try to straighten out the whole name thing. I can't imagine that it'd be too hard of a stretch to have someone break into a house, then try to tell the alarm people that it's not the correct number.

 

[MrBond]

ADT is a bunch of incompetent morons.

Our landlord had an ADT alarm system installed before we moved in because the neighborhood was getting sketchy. I set up the phone service, called ADT and gave them our phone number.

A month later, we accidently trip the alarm. No one calls. 45 minutes later the police show up asking if there's a problem and tell us they were called about the alarm. I apologized, they cited me for a false alarm.

I call up ADT, they tell me they called. I asked them to tell me what number they called. 555-555-5555 the operator tells me. I give them the phone number AGAIN.

A couple weeks later, we trip the alarm again. This time they call, and ask for our verbal password. We don't have a verbal password, we never set it up, because no one told us (or the landlord) that we had to. The police come again, and I am again fined for a false alarm.

The moral of the story is: ADT might tell you they updated their phone system, but they probably didn't. Your best bet? Call them up and tell them your the person they ask for and that your new phone number is 555-555-5555. Because apparently they believe that number actually works.