received VM on hobby phone from "Austin Police Monitor"

I just received a very strange voicemail on my hobby phone from someone claiming to be returning my call to the Austin Police monitor's office. Anyone experience something similar to this? I never use this phone for anything not hobby related. It's really making me feel kind of uneasy. At the very least time to ditch it and get a new one.the phone number definitely matches the city exchanges and very closely matches the actual Austin police monitor number.
GneissGuy's Avatar
Scary. Has anyone other than you had a chance to use your phone recently? Check your outgoing phone call log.

This sort of sounds like maybe someone copied down a phone number wrong, but it could be something nefarious.
Its a Google voice account, not even a real physical phone. Nothing weird in my Google history. If it is nefarious, probably got my # from a provider's phone
RALPHEY BOY's Avatar
you were probably on a dialer. just calls every number

512-345-0000
512-345-0001
and so on....
derek303's Avatar
I bet your thankful you use a hobby phone about now.
I doubt it was a dialer. it was a real person who gave his first and last name the call back number and business hours. Also he said he was returning MY call. I'm not even sure why the austin police monitor would ever use a dialer. "Have you been convicted of DWB or shot in the back by APD? Press 1 to file a complaint."
onei's Avatar
  • onei
  • 06-26-2014, 10:31 PM
"DWB"? = Driving with a Boner???? :-D
GneissGuy's Avatar
It was a trick. Now that you've posted here, they know that the phone number they had is the number for your userid on this board.

Listen for black helicopters.

I'm mostly kidding, but that sort of trick is something you need to watch out for.
TemptationTammie's Avatar
I had a friend in OH that had a program to call people using other phone numbers than his. I don't know how it worked, but he actually called me and it came up that he was calling me from my own number. I don't know if this app or program is still viable or how many people use it. But it was very strange.
As for being a dialer, I used to work in a call center and they use automatic dialers, yet live people when someone answered and sometimes leaving VMs. We had the option of leaving a VM or sending it automated message, but leaving our name and exchange meant we would get the call & credit if the person called back, instead of someone else getting it.
"DWB"? = Driving with a Boner???? :-D Originally Posted by onei
DWB is actually considered to be one of the most serious crimes by most law enforcement organizations. It is the crime of driving while black ( or brown).
It was a trick. Now that you've posted here, they know that the phone number they had is the number for your userid on this board.

Listen for black helicopters.

I'm mostly kidding, but that sort of trick is something you need to watch out for. Originally Posted by GneissGuy
I think Chelsea Manning, Edward Snowden, and Julian Assange have thought us a few things regarding this. They ARE watching you and the ARE out to get you. They gotta keep the prison industrial complex monster fed before it gets too hungry and turns on them.

I am speaking here from direct personal experience. I am on a DHS watchlist and have spent time in jail for my political activities, I have been a part of federal lawsuits against government entities, and I have obtained my FBI and DHS files through FOIA requests.

Bottom line, the US has more people in prison than any other nation on earth, both per capita and in raw numbers. We are all criminals in their eyes, they just haven't figured out what crime to charge us with yet.
TemptationTammie's Avatar
DWB is actually considered to be one of the most serious crimes by most law enforcement organizations. It is the crime of driving while black ( or brown). Originally Posted by new_to_this
Does this pertain to race? Or is it representative of something else?
Race. Black and brown people are racially profiled routinely.
GneissGuy's Avatar
Bottom line, the US has more people in prison than any other nation on earth, both per capita and in raw numbers. We are all criminals in their eyes, they just haven't figured out what crime to charge us with yet. Originally Posted by new_to_this
They're just picking which people it's most profitable to charge with crimes. Some of the peasants are more profitable in terms of money, politics, or press coverage.
TemptationTammie's Avatar
I'm color blind as long as the man/person is respectful.
It doesn't or shouldn't matter what race a person is.