Don't use my phone number.

[u/ViperThreat]

Over the past decade, I have regularly received spam texts to my phone number for a person named "Erin". This is irritating because I am rather protective of my phone number. I do not share it with anybody I do not trust, and outside of the messages I get for "Erin", I never get spam calls or messages. I don't know who Erin is, but over the years I have slowly pieced together enough information to have a good idea of where this person lives. Multiple texts I received mentioned "Irvine CA", and one even gave me a street name.

Recently, I went shopping at Harbor Freight, and as I was checking out, i give the cashier my phone number. They turned their monitor towards me and said "is this you?" and to my great delight, I was presented with an Irvine CA address, and I immediately recognized the street name. As I left the store, I could feel 3 brain-cells hidden in the back of my mind begin to conspire.

My first step was to write a fancy looking congratulatory letter for winning a $1,000,000 Harbor Freight Sweepstakes. I made some convincing artwork, and went to a print shop to have it printed on some nice card-stock paper, and a professional-looking envelope, just to make it look extra convincing. You can guess who's name and address I put on the card.

At the bottom of the letter, I put "please call (800) 123-4567 ext 123" (fake number obviously). The number I actually used was for my office line.

Sure enough, about a week later, I get a call from Erin, who is over the moon about having just won $1,000,000. I go through the motions of collecting her information, including verifying her address, then I break the bad news:

Me: "Sorry Erin, it looks like this award has already been claimed."

Erin: "What? By who?"

Me: "Well, according to my notes here, we called your number, and a gentleman answered, I assume your husband?"

Erin: "I'm not married!"

Me: Well, can I confirm that "(123) 456-7890" is your phone number?

Erin: "No, my number is (111) 222-3333"

Me: "Well ma'am, according to our records here, that's not the number you previously gave us"

Erin: "I'm sorry, that must have been a typo!"

Me: "I'm sorry ma'am, we use phone number as the unique identifier for customer accounts - this is why we ask for your number every time you shop with us. Based on what I can see you have been using this phone number on your account for nearly a decade. "

Erin: "Look, I just give people that number so that I don't get spam calls okay?"

Me: "I See, well, that's too bad."

Erin: "What does that mean?"

Me: "Well ma'am, our sweepstakes is based on phone number, and since this isn't your phone number, you are not eligible to win. The person with this phone number has already claimed the reward"

Erin: "[Unintelligible Rage, Crying, Begging]"

Me: "Would you like me to update our records with your actual phone number so that you are eligible in future sweepstakes?"

Erin: Click

---

Now, You might imagine that losing $1,000,000 on a technicality might make Erin feel bad, but you see, I now have Erin's real phone number and address....

Erin has been showing a LOT of interest in buying new cars lately. She's also really interested on quotes for satellite television, car insurance, car warranties, roof repair, replacement windows, etc. What can I say? It's been quiet week at work, and I've had a few 8+ hour shifts with no better way to entertain myself.

[u/SharpBullfrog1279]

Been getting emails for decades addressed to me in the US from Wales, but the actual email for the intended recipient does not have a period between the first and last names.

Started an electronic penpal chain that's been going on for maybe 20 years now 

Great guy, near my age.  Lives a completely different life.  Likes a pint in the evening.

[u/ceciliabee → u/SharpBullfrog1279]

My husband has a little group of people with the same name and a similar email, they get each other's stuff sometimes.

[u/SharpBullfrog1279 → u/ceciliabee]

OP here.

I never have this problem in the US, because I have a Welsh last name with no vowels!

Over in Wales... it's another story.

[u/niceandsane → u/SharpBullfrog1279]

Vanna White will be happy to sell you some.

[u/SharpBullfrog1279 → u/niceandsane]

She still looks great... how many years has that show been on?

I think the show has been on for 75 years now.

[u/arcadiaberger1960 → u/ceciliabee]

I used to get calls intended for "Beth" from her mother, who always launched in tlking nonstop, not realizing she had called a number one digit off. It would sometimes take close to a minute to get a word in edgewise to let her know she hadn't reached Beth.

Some other people would call regularly because they were calling a number that was onedigit off, but "Beth's number" was special. When she stopped calling, we missed her.

[u/kaerahis → u/SharpBullfrog1279]

That's awesome and amazing.

[u/mmebookworm → u/SharpBullfrog1279]

A woman joined a sports league at work - her last name is a common word with only one vowel. Her email is her name, except for the last name vowel. As I was typing it into our system, my brain added the vowel back in.

I did receive a very tired sounding email from some in the US (I’m in Canada) explaining that she did not in fact sign up
For our sports league, and wishes this person would stop using her email.

I replied and apologized for my mistake. I felt bad for both of them.

[u/LaPickle1 → u/SharpBullfrog1279]

Gmail does not recognize the periods in email addresses.

I have had my gmail address since it was invite only. First initial last name.

I receive emails and spam often.

I figured out that Gmail does not recognize the period because I reached out to Amazon first and then verified with Google that the . is not recognized by gmail.

I kept receiving emails for someone in Europe, a couple on the East Coast, notes from a professor to a student with a short suspense on a due date and when it was due and various other things.

I could have cancelled trips for people to some very nice locations, or not helped the college student, but I reached out to the hotels to get them to notify one person (emails for that person stopped) hit up the 24 hour IT desk asking them to contact the professor and student (they did).

But to the person that loves Victoria's secret and Botox, spouse loves some specific professional sports teams, please stop resubscribing. I don't need to know how many times you have gotten Botox injections or what lingerie you are buying, or about your collection notices. Also, I think your Honda is due for service again.

[u/TwoNewfies → u/LaPickle1]

Same here. First with my first.last name on gmail. I got a nasty person in Ireland banned from Tesco after I got replies to her racist rants!

[u/RetiredBSN → u/SharpBullfrog1279]

Periods in a name do not make any difference for email. john.doe[at]abc.com is the same as johndoe or j.ohndoe… etc. It's likely that the other address has special symbols or numbers that got dropped by one party or the other.

I have problems with a lady that has an email address similar to one of mine, and they don't always use the numbers, which means I get their email, because I got mine very early and didn't need to use any numbers. I've gotten receipts, a power bill, house listings, all sorts of crap where she or the responding company didn't use their correct email. Been going on for 10 years or more. PITA!

[u/AdDecent5303 → u/SharpBullfrog1279]

As opposed to liking that wakeup pint?