[lenjan]

Do any of you technogeeks out there know how people get my cell phone number when I don't give it to them? I'm a reporter, and people in the community I cover keep discovering my cell phone number, even though I only hand out business cards with my WORK number on it. I don't know what's going on, and it's p*ssing me off. Is there a way that my work number could be forwarding to my cell phone without my knowing it? I don't know enough about this stuff to have a clue.

Thanks for any suggestions you come up with! I hate having my privacy invaded.

Candy

[CedarS]

I don't know the answer to this but will speculate some anyway. Forwarding is a possibility. Another would be that one person found out your # and leaked it, and the info has spread.

Is it enough that it would be good for you to change the number?

[lenjan]

it's only a couple of ppl so far, one biz owner and one alderman, but it's creeping me out. i'll wait a bit to see if it gets worse.

--candy, in her splint for the night, practicing her one-fingered typing.

[dexter]

Did you call any of them from your cell? Maybe they got the number on their caller ID and remembered it?

[lenjan]

Yeah, that occurred to me later. I know I've called the business owner on it, because he's kind of a spokesman for the downtown merchants and I talk to him a lot. (And I work from home 2 days a week, and my cell is my only phone.)

The alderman, I have never, ever called except from work. He's an alderman I don't particularly like and don't want him having my cell number! LOL Oh well.

People can get just about any number -work, cell, unlisted, listed just by using the internet phone directories, reverse look up and background search directories. all a person has to do is pay anywhere between $7.95 up to sometimes into the $40.00 - $50.00 dollar range by pay pal and they have their information complete with present and last known addresses, phone numbers and so on. I guess everything has it pros and cons and the internet is no different. When I had my cell phone I made sure it had a caller ID feature so that I didn't have to answer the calls I didn't want to. They would go to voicemail and I'd just delete them. After not getting their calls returned they stopped calling.

[(JD)]

sigh cellular phone numbers are allowed to be telemarketed now.. you need to add yourself to a do not call listing? Plus, anytime you fill out anything online be sure to look at the whole page, as often you will find a box already checked saying you allow them to use the info/sell it etc (not in those words..but ..) or it requires you to find that little check off spot and check it to prevent sharing.

maybe someone put your number in a stall somewhere? hehehe