Strange phone number I used to call 123456789*0#

[TheLittleFaerie]

When I was little I played with the phones a lot, I used to dial 123456789*0# and would get this recording of a male voice saying SOMETHING like,

"The number you have dialed, 234-5678, is a test. Hang up now, otherwise you will be billed for this call."

And the number would charge on the phone bill, which my grandparents got mad lol

It almost didn't sound like a recording, It almost sounded like a real person saying it.

Sometimes when I would call the number it would sound like a female voice miming a busy signal, like she was saying, "eh eh eh eh eh..."

I was sorta scary because after I would dial it sometimes I couldn't get the dial tone back for 15 or so minutes and couldn't use the phone.

This was back in the 80s and I remember other kids called this number as well.

Does anyone ever remember calling this? And what the number could have been?

[dee2364]

I thought this was too obscure to find any information on, but believe it or not, I found articles from 1989 and 1990 about it:

https://www.deseret.com/1989/7/24/18...u-can-count-on

https://www.deseret.com/1990/6/18/18...t-will-be-hard

[TheLittleFaerie]

Originally Posted by dee2364

I thought this was too obscure to find any information on, but believe it or not, I found articles from 1989 and 1990 about it:

https://www.deseret.com/1989/7/24/18...u-can-count-on

https://www.deseret.com/1990/6/18/18...t-will-be-hard

Thanks, I wonder if I was dialing Utah when I was little? lol

[IllinoisTVFan]

Strange. There is a video on YouTube that has some weird phone calls to dial and one apparently will call you back using your name. I used to call 867-5309 and it used to be from a local radio station as a promotion.

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by IllinoisTVFan

I used to call 867-5309 and it used to be from a local radio station as a promotion.

I always wondered how many people with that number received prank calls. There's no area code, so there must have been hundreds of people with "Jenny's" phone number.

[opus]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

I always wondered how many people with that number received prank calls. There's no area code, so there must have been hundreds of people with "Jenny's" phone number.

Wikipedia has some stories on the journey of the phone number

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/867-5309/Jenny

I’ll do some cutting and pasting if you’re not in a clicking mood....

The song, released in late 1981, initially gained popularity on the American West Coast in January 1982; many who had the number soon abandoned it because of unwanted calls.

When we'd first get calls at 2 or 3 in the morning, my husband would answer the phone. He can't hear too well. They'd ask for Jenny, and he'd say "Jimmy doesn't live here any more." ... Tommy Tutone was the one who had the record. I'd like to get hold of his neck and choke him.
— Lorene Burns, an Alabama householder formerly at +1-205-867-5309; she changed her number in 1982.[14]

Asking telephone companies to trace the calls was of no use, as Charles and Maurine Shambarger (then in West Akron, Ohio at +1-216-867-5309) learned when Ohio Bell explained "We don’t know what to make of this. The calls are coming from all over the place." A little over a month later, they disconnected the number and the phone became silent.[15]

In some cases, the number was picked up by commercial businesses or acquired for use in radio promotions.

In 1982, WLS radio obtained the number from a Chicago woman, receiving 22,000 calls in four days.[9]

In 1982, Southwest Junior High School received up to two hundred calls daily asking for Jenny in area code 704.[9]

Brown University obtained the +1-401-867 prefix in 1999, assigning 867-5309 to a student dormitory room which was promptly inundated with nuisance calls.[16]

A February 2004 auction for the number in a New York City code was shut down by eBay after objections from Verizon; bidding had reached $80,000.[17] The US Federal Communications Commission takes the position that most phone numbers are "public resources" that "are not owned by carriers or their customers" but did not rule out the number being sold as part of a business.[18]

A subsequent February 2004 auction for the number in area code 800 and 888 listed Jeffrey Steinberg's Philadelphia business JSS Marketing for sale, including both numbers as part of the bundle. This circumvents eBay restrictions which prevent selling the numbers on their own.[19]

In 2004, Weehawken, New Jersey resident Spencer Potter picked up the number for free after discovering to his surprise that it was available in the 201 area code, hoping it would improve his DJ business.[20][21] Unable to handle the overwhelming volume of calls, he sought to sell the number on eBay in February 2009.[22][23] Although bids reached $1 million, his inability to confirm the identity of the bidders led him to sell it privately to Retro Fitness, a gym franchise with a location in Secaucus, New Jersey that felt the 1980s origin of the number tied in with their business' retro theme.[8]

In 2006, Benjamin Franklin Franchising, a large national plumbing franchise, began using a toll-free version of the number (+1-866-867-5309), which it advertises as "867-5309/Benny".[24] In 2007, Gem Plumbing & Heating brought suit against Clockwork Home Services, the parent company of Benjamin Franklin Franchising, alleging a violation of its trademark.[25] Clockwork contended that Gem's trademark was invalid. Effective in May 2007, Clockwork was ordered by a court to stop using the number in New England.[26] According to Tommy Heath, lead singer of Tommy Tutone, "It's ridiculous. If I wanted to get into it, I could probably take the number away from both of them."[27]

In 2009, nutrition firm Natrient LLC leased 1-800-867-5309 from 5309 Partners Ltd for $25 million as part of a radio ad campaign.[28]

In July 2009, Jason Kaplan had the number assigned to a Vonage phone line in the name of a small business in area code 267[29] and then listed the entire business for sale on eBay.[30] The auction closed at $5,500.[31][32]

In January 2013, Five309 LLC announced plans to use 855-867-5309 and 888-867-5309 to promote website JennySearch.com.[33]

In 2013, the number was still ringing up fifty prank calls daily for Florida realtor Carrie Routt in area code 850.[34]

Fort Collins, Colorado restaurant, Totally 80's Pizza, uses this number as part of its 1980s theme, in area code 970.[35]

[Dude111]

Originally Posted by TheLittleFaerie

"The number you have dialed, 234-5678, is a test. Hang up now, otherwise you will be billed for this call."

Yes I called the same #!!!

Over and over........

Same kinda recording ".......the phone company has arranged billing for this call"

I ran up the bill like crazy,I didnt realise!!!

Thankfully they took it all off......... I DIDNT DO THAT ANYMORE!!!!


This was also in the 80s......

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by opus

Wikipedia has some stories on the journey of the phone number

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/867-5309/Jenny

I’ll do some cutting and pasting if you’re not in a clicking mood....

The song, released in late 1981, initially gained popularity on the American West Coast in January 1982; many who had the number soon abandoned it because of unwanted calls.

When we'd first get calls at 2 or 3 in the morning, my husband would answer the phone. He can't hear too well. They'd ask for Jenny, and he'd say "Jimmy doesn't live here any more." ... Tommy Tutone was the one who had the record. I'd like to get hold of his neck and choke him.
— Lorene Burns, an Alabama householder formerly at +1-205-867-5309; she changed her number in 1982.[14]

Asking telephone companies to trace the calls was of no use, as Charles and Maurine Shambarger (then in West Akron, Ohio at +1-216-867-5309) learned when Ohio Bell explained "We don’t know what to make of this. The calls are coming from all over the place." A little over a month later, they disconnected the number and the phone became silent.[15]

In some cases, the number was picked up by commercial businesses or acquired for use in radio promotions.

In 1982, WLS radio obtained the number from a Chicago woman, receiving 22,000 calls in four days.[9]

In 1982, Southwest Junior High School received up to two hundred calls daily asking for Jenny in area code 704.[9]

Brown University obtained the +1-401-867 prefix in 1999, assigning 867-5309 to a student dormitory room which was promptly inundated with nuisance calls.[16]

A February 2004 auction for the number in a New York City code was shut down by eBay after objections from Verizon; bidding had reached $80,000.[17] The US Federal Communications Commission takes the position that most phone numbers are "public resources" that "are not owned by carriers or their customers" but did not rule out the number being sold as part of a business.[18]

A subsequent February 2004 auction for the number in area code 800 and 888 listed Jeffrey Steinberg's Philadelphia business JSS Marketing for sale, including both numbers as part of the bundle. This circumvents eBay restrictions which prevent selling the numbers on their own.[19]

In 2004, Weehawken, New Jersey resident Spencer Potter picked up the number for free after discovering to his surprise that it was available in the 201 area code, hoping it would improve his DJ business.[20][21] Unable to handle the overwhelming volume of calls, he sought to sell the number on eBay in February 2009.[22][23] Although bids reached $1 million, his inability to confirm the identity of the bidders led him to sell it privately to Retro Fitness, a gym franchise with a location in Secaucus, New Jersey that felt the 1980s origin of the number tied in with their business' retro theme.[8]

In 2006, Benjamin Franklin Franchising, a large national plumbing franchise, began using a toll-free version of the number (+1-866-867-5309), which it advertises as "867-5309/Benny".[24] In 2007, Gem Plumbing & Heating brought suit against Clockwork Home Services, the parent company of Benjamin Franklin Franchising, alleging a violation of its trademark.[25] Clockwork contended that Gem's trademark was invalid. Effective in May 2007, Clockwork was ordered by a court to stop using the number in New England.[26] According to Tommy Heath, lead singer of Tommy Tutone, "It's ridiculous. If I wanted to get into it, I could probably take the number away from both of them."[27]

In 2009, nutrition firm Natrient LLC leased 1-800-867-5309 from 5309 Partners Ltd for $25 million as part of a radio ad campaign.[28]

In July 2009, Jason Kaplan had the number assigned to a Vonage phone line in the name of a small business in area code 267[29] and then listed the entire business for sale on eBay.[30] The auction closed at $5,500.[31][32]

In January 2013, Five309 LLC announced plans to use 855-867-5309 and 888-867-5309 to promote website JennySearch.com.[33]

In 2013, the number was still ringing up fifty prank calls daily for Florida realtor Carrie Routt in area code 850.[34]

Fort Collins, Colorado restaurant, Totally 80's Pizza, uses this number as part of its 1980s theme, in area code 970.[35]

Thanks for the answers! Those poor unsuspecting people!

[opus]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Thanks for the answers! Those poor unsuspecting people!

I like the story of the hard of hearing guy who when they’d ask for Jenny would yell back “Jimmy doesn’t live here anymore ”. I’m hoping that one’s true.

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by opus

I like the story of the hard of hearing guy who when they’d ask for Jenny would yell back “Jimmy doesn’t live here anymore ”. I’m hoping that one’s true.

Haha!

Some research indicates Jennifer or Jenny is the sixth most popular female name in the US. This means that, statistically, some of those crank calls were actually reaching females named Jenny.

"Is Jenny there?"

"This is she. Who is this?"

"Umm... I... well..." *hangs up*

[TheLittleFaerie]

Originally Posted by Dude111

Yes I called the same #!!!

Over and over........

Same kinda recording ".......the phone company has arranged billing for this call"

I ran up the bill like crazy,I didnt realise!!!

Thankfully they took it all off......... I DIDNT DO THAT ANYMORE!!!!


This was also in the 80s......

Thanks for responding!!! Do you happen to remember anything more about what the recording actually SAID?? What I posted is just from my vague childhood memory.... I don't remember if he actually said you would be BILLED, but my memory is just filling in the logical gaps lol I also remember he read off some number, I THINK it was "2345678" I'm just logically thinking it was the number I was calling just minus the 1 and 9. And what was the number for? Some ppl told me maybe I had maybe reached a military base or maybe it was some kind of line testing.

I dunno why but it's been driving me crazy lol

I just remember the recording did not SOUND like a recording but like a real person, and sorta intimidating, and sometimes you would get different things like female voice miming a busy signal, or an alarm! It was kinda a scary number but I was compelled to call it lol

[Janice Johnson]

I called the number in your OP, symbols and all too and I got an automated voice message informing that this number I was calling does not exist and to please call 611 instead.

[Dude111]

No I dont remember TheLittleFaerie


I like calling 382-5968 in every area code and see who answers (------u)

[TheLittleFaerie]

Originally Posted by Janice Johnson

I called the number in your OP, symbols and all too and I got an automated voice message informing that this number I was calling does not exist and to please call 611 instead.

lol yeah I don't think I've gotten the other message since like 1988