Help, My mobile number is being used by someone else

[oilandwater]

Bit of background.
For well over three years now someone in Southampton (I know her name and full address and landline number) has been giving out my mobile number as her own. She even has it listed as hers on 118 etc.
I’ve had this EE number for circa 14 years, it’s a business phone so I don’t want to change it.
I’m being flooded with nuisance calls now, funeral directors, kitchen suppliers, today’s was loft insulation. I used to say she was dead in hopes the word got round and the calls would stop.
I’ve now got the number on TPS, but is there anything else I could do?
PS it got so bad last year that I called the local to her police to see if they could help. No they couldn’t.
Any help/ideas please.

[audi321]

Sorry I can't really help, but I assume you know her and she's doing this for revenge or something? Otherwise, why is she doing this, and surely a visit or phone call to her to ask her to stop?

Or am I missing the 'being used by someone else' point? Is she actually using it, or just giving it out?

[xx99xx]

Have you called and spoken to the lady in Southampton? If so, is she publishing your number on purpose (to get back at you for something) or accidentally?

[ReverendCounter]

Of course the police can do something about it, they just can't be bothered. Misuse of telecoms act for a start. Stalking and harassment is another.

You need to read up on stalking and harassment as per the CPS guidelines, and see how your experiences, or rather her actions, satisfy the guidelines that are set out by the CPS that her activities are those of a stalker. There is no one clear definition of stalking and there are many behaviours that can be carried out to cause another person distress. These can include involving other people in harassment, whether they are aware of their behaviour having that effect.

Re: Communications Act 2003, have a read of this:

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2003/21/part/...

You need to ask for advice on how to get the police to take this matter seriously, because they are taking the piss out of you (as they do to virtually every victim of crime when they can't be bothered). They literally have to be forced to act - it's all just a game to them, to see how they can avoid giving themselves work.

[Chozza]

Does she think that its her number ? i.e. she has a similar number and gives it out by mistake .. or it is easy to remember and she just fills it in when she cant be bothered to leave a real number.


If its not an honest mistake and you know her home number and address ... i can think of a few places that you can enter her details and return the favour

[oilandwater]

I live in the North so I can’t just ‘nip round’ to see her. I’ve never met her. I’ve no idea why she’s done it. I could understand if she had just put a wrong digit at the end of her mobile number if she had entered it on to a website, but to have the number listed as hers on the 118 search is just wrong.
I’ll give the recommendations a try thank you.

[audi321]

oilandwater said:

I live in the North so I can’t just ‘nip round’ to see her.

No, but you've her landline number you said?

I'm not sure she's committed any crime, so the police won't be interested. Surprised you've let it go 3 years and not sorted it out sooner, sounds like it just could be an honest mistake?

You say 118?? Is she listed as a business then? Surely personal mobile numbers aren't on 118? If she's a business then it's her losing out on jobs too?

Or just put her landline number on here, I'm sure someone will call her up lol

Edited by audi321 on Monday 13th September 22:41

[Ridealong]

I had something similar for a short time, I was in Australia for over a month and bought PAYG sim card (180 days validity).
After a week, I started getting a couple of calls and texts, I told them you must have the wrong number as I'm not the person you are after and this number only went live 8/9/10 days ago.

When I left Australia I still kept the sim card in the spare phone and turned it on occasionally to look at previous photos, get app or O/S updates for the phone, but still was getting missed call and text messages like how are you, where was you and happy birthday up until the sim card expired.

So either it was a genuine missed entered call/text or the phone company recycled a live number.

[xx99xx]

oilandwater said:

I live in the North so I can’t just ‘nip round’ to see her. I’ve never met her. I’ve no idea why she’s done it. I could understand if she had just put a wrong digit at the end of her mobile number if she had entered it on to a website, but to have the number listed as hers on the 118 search is just wrong.
I’ll give the recommendations a try thank you.

Just call her!

How did you get her address and phone number anyway?

[megaphone]

Is your number on registered on the Telephone Preference Service? That will stop a lot of nuisance calls.

https://www.tpsonline.org.uk/register

[ConnectionError]

megaphone said:

Is your number on registered on the Telephone Preference Service? That will stop a lot of nuisance calls.

https://www.tpsonline.org.uk/register

Are they nuisance calls if the number is being given out to a tradesman?

[ConnectionError]

A polite, but firm letter from a solicitor?

[megaphone]

ConnectionError said:

megaphone said:

Is your number on registered on the Telephone Preference Service? That will stop a lot of nuisance calls.

https://www.tpsonline.org.uk/register

Are they nuisance calls if the number is being given out to a tradesman?

Actually I've just read the OP again and he says he has registered with TPS. Obviously if his ex is giving out the number to tradesman then the calls are not unsolicited.

Edited by megaphone on Tuesday 14th September 08:35

[steveo3002]

does 118 not have a complaint system where you can prove the number is listed incorrectly /maliciously

[nyt]

"She even has it listed as hers on 118 etc."

What other services? Is this possibly 118's mistake and it's 118 that you should be contacting?

[oilandwater]

xx99xx said:

Just call her!

How did you get her address and phone number anyway?

One of the calls from a funeral service asked if I was Mrs …… and could I confirm I lived at ……. Southampton. (Obviously an inexperienced sales team.) So I now had her address to add to her name, I called 118 and asked for the telephone number of Mrs …. of etc etc and they gave me her land line and would I like her mobile number. Guess what it was mine. I told 118 it wasn’t her mobile number but mine. A £10+ phone call later they said they couldn’t knock it off the list.

Edited by oilandwater on Tuesday 14th September 10:10

[CanAm]

oilandwater said:

I’m being flooded with nuisance calls now, funeral directors, kitchen suppliers, today’s was loft insulation. I used to say she was dead in hopes the word got round and the calls would stop.

I have a Do Not Disturb feature on my phone. You could set it to accept calls only from your contacts. I never answer calls from unknown numbers anyway - if it's important they'll leave a message.

[tangerine_sedge]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

I like your thinking, but I think in reality it will just trigger more calls (i.e. tradesmen pissed off with the OP).

OP could raise a "right to rectification" request for online data (check out the ICO website). That should force 118 etc to take it seriously.

In regards to the person doing this, raising a harassment claim might be worth doing, but personally I'd just bin off the number and move on.

[xx99xx]

Have you actually called/written to her to ascertain whether she is doing this on purpose or not?

Is it possible you both have the same number by some rare mistake and she may be getting calls intended for you and has a similar thread running on Mumsnet complaining about some bloke up north getting random trades to ring her?

[Nurburgsingh]

If you’ve got her number - start giving it out to people and put it on a 118 listing and see how she likes it.