Unlisted number, now public!

We have two phones at our house. One a conventional land line we have had for 30 years.

The other A VOIP that we get from Spectrum. (had about a year) This one is only used to call 6 numbers and only 6 known numbers call It. Only myself, wife 2 sons and their wives have this new number. We call no one else on this number!

We do not have cell service so we get lots of junk calls at our old number. Unless expecting a call we let it go through to answering machine. Obviously a good call we pick it up if home. This has cut way down on the increasingly robo calls and other BS calls.

Somehow just found out today the VOIP number is listed in the white pages, we have no clue why as explained above its super restricted. Called the cable provider and asked how does a supposedly unlisted number show up on the white pages. Could not get a good answer except “There are ways” Basically told to live with it!

Any out there got a clue of how our UNLISTED number is now listed in white pages. I feel but cannot prove this is due to something the cable provider is doing or done!

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14 S&W Revs none with locks!

The rules AT&T and their successors applied to land line ‘unlisted’ numbers apparently aren’t the same as those the explosion of phone service providers use.

I suspect your provider sold their number list: another funding stream for the provider.

My first thought!

The person I talked to (after a 1/2 hr wait) said he did not know how it got out but there are ways. A good bet he got his information right out of the company manual on how to answer!

Do not recognize the number it will not be answered, but of course it will ring. O well "C'est la vie"

This number out must be pretty recent, this morning was the first wrong call that we have had in months! I did pick it up as it displayed it was coming from my propane company and she told me how she got the number!

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14 S&W Revs none with locks!

The default when you sign up for service is a listed number. You may not have given it out, but Spectrum did. Did you think it was going to be unlisted? Regardless, it is listed. Try this:

How can I list/unlist my information on the Directory Listing and Directory Assistance Listing?

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Wisdom comes thru fear . . .

What does the fine print on the agreement/contract say?

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Thread Killer.

I have not seen a telephone directory in six or eight years, yellow or white. I did not think they were published anymore. Many robocalls are simply calling every possible number combination in an area code. There is little that can be done against that other than screening with voice mail or a dial through type gate-keeping app.

if the company violated your privacy....kick em to the curb.....

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There's nowt so queer as folk

I asked for and PAID FOR a unlisted number, that is why I'm so urinated off. Up to today It seemed to be OK, based on that I think this just occurred recently. My other 30 YO number has always been listed!

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14 S&W Revs none with locks!

I THINK there the reason, proving that is going to be impossible.


Thanks for the answers!

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14 S&W Revs none with locks!

First, check REALLY carefully with those on your "special" list. Loose lips and all that. Did any of them have the number in their cellphone? Did they recently update the phone. If so, ALL the numbers in their phone may have been skimmed during that event.

Once you are ABSOLUTELY sure none of them are the source of the leak, call the provider again and inform them you are taking the matter up with the FCC and the FTC unless you get a new unlisted number free of charge.

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Release the Kraken

Spectrum's takeover of Charter was recently completed. Perhaps that's the difficulty . . .

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Wisdom comes thru fear . . .

"Never attribute to malice that which can be explained by incompetence."
Probably-like so many companies today-the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is up to, the fingers on the hand don't communicate.

All the above is the reason I am in the process of cutting off my AT&T number that I have had for over 50 years, and going with cell phone only. The price keeps going up and the number of calls I get on it are 90% junk robo calls. The phone companies have crapped in their own nest letting the industry get in this condition.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

No cell service within 5 miles of my house.

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14 S&W Revs none with locks!

Thanks for all that responded, as I have to shut down for the day I will hope the "night shift" has a few ideas!

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14 S&W Revs none with locks!

When they say, "There are ways."

It really means, "After we tell you that it's strictly private, we sell it to any company that will buy it."

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"

Side note:

I changed our landline answering machine to only ring 2 times before it clicks to message.

For some reason, it has almost eliminated all the computer generated calls.

Wifey hates it though. Impossible to get to the phone before it clicks to message.

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Death? Smile back...

I've got Spectrum for my landline. Mine is not an unlisted # but I do take advantage of Spectrum's Nomorobo junk call blocker. It does ring once and then goes silent if it's spam.

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God spelled backwards is dog.

My sister refers to Spectrum (which I also use) as "Sphinctrum". I like that.

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Oh well, what the hell.

Looked into your issue a bit and it seems all unlisted numbers can be "discovered" if someone is determined. That's our brave new world for you.


Since you specified Spectrum as your provider, I looked at the features available to their "Voice" customers.

There is a feature called "Nomorobo" that limits nuisance calls.

Another feature called "Accept Selected Callers" allows only numbers you specify to ring through, all others are forwarded to voicemail.

Long time ago I always had an unlisted number and I even paid extra for it. One day I got a call from a friend and I asked how did he get my unlisted number. He said the phone company gave it to him. I think in a months time I must have changed my unlisted number 3 times thanks to the phone company.

Yeah I think if my unlisted number showed up in a public white pages phone book then I would be really torked off.

Not UNLISTED - but not to be found.

Many years ago I had a scheme - get value of unlisted without paying.

I listed the phone in the name of my, now deceased, cat.
Any call asking for him was quickly hung up.
AARP still sends him temporary membership cards.
Capital One sent him a credit card offer today.

Bekeart

Maybe, maybe not.

There are free apps--one is "Hiya"--that will try to
give you a name and location, for incoming calls and
texts. You can also put a number in, and it will try
to give a name for it.

These apps work by copying your cell's phone book/
contact list of names & numbers, adding your listings
to a database from all the other app users.

Most people probably don't pay much attention to
the permissions required for installing the app.
Copying your entire contact list is one of the
permissions.

How does an "unlisted" number show up on caller ID?
Maybe someplace you called with that line got your number from their caller ID?
Just a thought....

Not having a cell phone, I don't have those problems. My land line is hooked to answering machine. The phone is never answered and all calls go to the machine. My friends know to leave a message and they get called back. Very simple.

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Bill

There has always been a difference between unlisted and unpublished. Two different levels of security. The phone company won't give out the latter, which of course costs more . . .

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Wisdom comes thru fear . . .

Unwanted / robot calls have gotten worse and seem to be able to tell if an answering machine is answering and just keep trying with caller id showing different numbers for them so blocking technology doesn’t work. Contact elected officials and raise a fuss about it! They may do something if enough complain but I doubt it. I never answer ,if no message I don’t worry. There is no such thing as privacy for anyone who uses even low level technology as everyone who has any information data on you is probably selling/sharing it. Lots of public records to mine for information on you that you can’t avoid.

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Hue 68 noli me tangere

The worst ones are the "spoofing" and using numbers that are local to you. One time I got a call from my own phone number!

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

Nope, that is whats bugging me we only have dialed the six numbers of my family, never used it to call anyone else.

I see a few thoughts on putting in Spectrum's block, that sounds feasible. Thanks!

Really frost me to pay for a unlisted number and its now on the white pages. Something is sure rotten in Denmark!

I do have a coupe options, one being put in those additional blockers or get the company to change number, like I said thats only 6 people.

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14 S&W Revs none with locks!

Spectrums 'unlisted service' only guarantees that your phone # info will not be available thru Directory Assistance,,nor thru 411 Listings.

They make no promise that your tel# won't be listed in a hard copy 'telephone book/directory' somewhere. They make no mention of a telephone book/directory actually,,probably as they don't publish one(?) and feel they aren't responsible for what shows up in them.

Just my guess.

...I Hate Phones....

How can I list/unlist my information on the Directory Listing and Directory Assistance Listing?


Also go here and scroll down to 'Directory Listing'

..note the difference betw 'Private' and 'Published'....There's NO mention of 'Unlisted' service here as in the above link (which may be old info?).

Here they do state that w/a Private # your info WILL NOT appear in a public phone book.
Spectrum.net
Spectrum Voice: Directory and Directory Assistance


I guess as someone else noted,,you really have to see what you have in your contract first before pounding down their door.

I’d really start to worry if your forum green light status gets lit up.

I think I was sold a Bill Of Goods by that company. Well calls coming in on that Private phone show up on the TV and on the individual phones. If its not one of the six that have that number it will not be picked up, and I do not have "mail box" set to kick in. Going to look into Nomorobo" and another feature called "Accept Selected Callers"

If any of "the Six" have to leave a message they can always call back on the other open number. This "open" phone is not picked up unless a person speaks and of course its someone we want to talk to, or get a robo call from one of our doctors.

It seems like just about all docs offices send out robo calls at dinner time to remind you that you have a appointment in a day or two.

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14 S&W Revs none with locks!

Safe, there will be no monkey work by the big Gorilla!

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14 S&W Revs none with locks!

I did that about 6 yrs. ago and it was no good for me. I had ATT POTS service and ATT DST. I got fed up with continual phone increases and lack of coverage with ATT's telephone "basic" plan. I dropped the tel. service and went strictly cell for about a year. It was a real pia to keep track of the cell all the time. I can't tell you the number of times I've misplaced the cell and only found it calling the cell with the landline. I'm pretty fed up with ATT and the next time my internet goes down I'm going with cable. In the mean time I've had a little "BASICTALK" brand device hooked up to ATT and supplying VOIP for about 3 years now. Costs $14 a month for all calls in lower 48. I'll never go without a landline again.

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SOS USA

There should be a difference between research (stalker support) companies and the like being sold the # (improper, I am sure, if you paid for the unlisted/private), and it showing up in a phone directory. I'd be looking into how to make a big stink with you state regulatory agency.

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NHI, 10-8.

Tempting to accept the credit cad, run it up to maximum limit and then see them try to collect payment.

I have had an unpublished number for over 20 years with very few problems. Only trouble is it ends in 8228 and the number for the local garage is the same first numbers but ending 8822. We get so many calls for the garage first thing on a Monday morning.

If it wasn't for my 90 year old MIL and my stepson calling each other a couple of dozen times a day I'd get rid of the landline and go cellular only.

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View from down under