12 Wrong Number Calls That Took an Unexpected Turn

Calling a wrong number by mistake is like a lottery. This can begin a nice friendship or set off a chain of fateful events. Here are the stories about people whose life was changed by an accidental call or message.

And in the bonus section, you’ll find a story about how one phone call can make the world a little better.

• A woman called me, but as soon as she heard my voice, she immediately started insulting me. The lady thought she was calling her son-in-law and that I was his mistress. I tried to explain that she had the wrong number, but it was useless. In the end, I just hang up.
  Then there were more attempts to call me, but I just stopped picking up the phone. A little while later I received a text message saying, “Today your daughter went to the 1st grade, and you didn’t even come, you rascal.” At that moment, I felt sorry for the child and resentful for the father. © Overheard / Ideer
• I was the 8th grade teacher, Mrs. Ellison. The department chair at the high school was also Mrs. Ellison: no relation, but we knew each other pretty well. Go with me back to the days of the long-lost phone book. Our listing was first among the 6 Ellisons.
  And one night, the second week of school, our phone rang, and a trembling teenager said, “Hello, I’m sorry to bother you, but is this Mrs. Ellison the English teacher?” “Yes, this is she,” I answered. “I’m Lexi, from your third period class. Can you please help me? I just don’t understand the homework assignment, and I know you said we had to have it tomorrow to start working on our 5-paragraph essay.”
  I paused, pondering my sanity for a second. I hadn’t assigned any homework. Then it hit me. “Dear, I think you’re looking for Mrs. H. Ellison, at the high school. I’m Mrs. A. Ellison, and I teach 8th grade. Maybe I can help you. I’ve taught high school before. What is the assignment?”
  And she told me, and then we spent about 15 minutes walking through what an outline for a 5-paragraph persuasive essay would look like. She was so sweet, and thanked me about 5 times. I relayed the exchange to the other Mrs. Ellison a few weeks later, at an after-school meeting. She threw back her head and laughed, “That child handed in the best planned and organized outline in the 10th grade! Should have known she had called in a ringer!” © Connie Ellison / Quora

• Some man has been trying to find a job with my phone number for a year. At first, I was offered a job as a sales manager, and at the end, as a cashier. There were really a lot of calls and SMS with offers. The man didn’t leave any contact details other than my number.
  The calls at one point stopped for a couple of months, then started again, but with “demotion.” I ended up asking each caller to leave a complaint on my CV until I got a call from the job board, they made sure I didn’t know the man at all, and blocked his profile. Probably he was “looking” for a job with a deliberately wrong number so he had an excuse not to work because he tries so hard to find a job, applies for so many jobs, but no one calls him back. © NikaEvd / Pikabu
• My husband gets a text message every year on the same day with news about “his” son. We tried to call back, but the SIM was immediately unavailable. Once we got an idea to text this woman on day X in the morning, saying, she’d made a mistake.
  The reply came immediately, “I don’t need anything. Just know we’re here.” Okay, we do. She’s there as well as someone’s son without a father. What’s interesting is that the number is registered in another region, very far away from us. My husband’s never been there.
  Now the kid is 10 years old. She keeps texting. We keep reading. © Overheard / Ideer
• I got a text from a group chat, and they were planning a vacation. I told them I was not the person they intended, but they continued chatting and planning. I finally gave up and asked what was my part. They told me I was driving and needed to bring the adult beverages since that was my specialty.
  I tried again to tell them mine was a wrong number. But, being a good-humored person, I was actually willing to show up. When I asked where we were meeting, they said at Carol’s house. I asked the address, but they just laughed.
  The day they were leaving, they texted asking where I was. I again stated I needed Carol’s address if they wanted me to drive. I think they finally figured out I was not who they thought they had invited. I still offered to go, but they decided to uninvite me. © Training-Call-9067 / Reddit

• I moved to a new city, I didn’t know anyone there yet. Suddenly, I got a call to my home number. A cheerful male voice asks how I’m doing.
  I was a little miffed that my caller had neglected to identify himself, but I figured I would be able to solve the mystery within a few seconds, so I made polite chit-chat with him. Over the next few minutes, 2 things became obvious: he’s a nice guy, and he thinks he knows me very well. Finally, I gave up.
  I said, “I am so sorry, but I’ve been trying to figure out who you are for the past 5 minutes and I have no idea. Can you tell me who you are?” He was taken aback. “It’s your husband,” he said. I informed him that he had called the wrong number. The poor guy was really embarrassed. © Alice Baker / Quora
• I just got my first mobile phone. I had a date with a guy, and he was late. So, I called him, but a woman’s voice answered the phone! I was so shocked, I asked boldly, “Where’s Oliver? Put him on the phone.” A woman’s voice replies, “He’s not here,” and hangs up.
  10 minutes later, I called again, and the girl picked up again and said that Oliver wasn’t there. I was already emotional: why did he agree to meet me, but left his mobile phone with some girl?! I got myself worked up and rang again:
  — Put Oliver on the phone!
  — He’s not here.
  — Why not?
  — He’s gone somewhere.
  — What do you mean, gone? Why are you even answering his phone? You’re annoying!
  — You’re the one who’s annoying! You’re calling me home!
  And then I realized that Oliver’s mobile number and home number were both recorded in my contacts. Finally, I called his mobile, and he was late, he was waiting for the bus for a long time. And I made a fuss with his sister.

• I was at my brother’s house when the phone rang, and overheard the conversation.
  Caller: Is this the front desk?
  Dan: This is Dan. No front desk here.
  Caller: I’m in room 231. There is no toilet paper.
  Dan: This is not a hotel.
  Caller: Can you give me the number for the front desk?
  Dan: I have no idea where you are. You have the wrong number.
  Caller: I’m in room 231. How do I get toilet paper?
  Dan finally hung up. © Diane Evans / Quora
• A friend told me. Some bloke called him and said, “Can I talk to Anna?” So the friend said, “Anna’s in the shower.” The man hang up.
  15 minutes later he calls back again and says, “Bro, sorry, wrong number. But I already said goodbye to Anna in my mind.” © Overheard / Ideer
• Phone rings at 3 a.m. I figure it’s an emergency and answer. It’s a wrong number. The guy apologized. I hung up.
  A few minutes later, he called back and asked if I ever went out at night. I said no, not since my husband got out of the Navy SEALs. The guy bought it and never called again. I’m not married. © Jean Martin / Quora

• “Are you still mad at me?” I texted my girlfriend at 1:30 a.m. But I actually sent this to my 50-year-old boss whose office I had joined only a few days back. I didn’t realize what I did until half an hour later, I saw in my notification window that there is a WhatsApp message from my boss.
  He just replied, “??” I was like, “Sorry, my mistake.” Although he is a very chilled out kind of person, but the whole night I spent in anticipation of his reply. He texted, “Best of luck.” © Hars*it Agarwal / Quora
• Back before I met him, back in the 70s, my ex-husband met a woman at a party and brought her home. They are cuddled, enjoying the afterglow, when his phone rang. The caller asked to speak to his wife, when my ex started stammering, “But she said she was divorced!” A lot of yelling later, it turns out it was a wrong number. © Pat Brim / Quora

Bonus

• It was a New Year’s Eve and I happened to be home alone watching celebrations on TV. At 10 minutes past midnight, my phone rang. A bubbly and joyful young lady I didn’t know wishing me a Happy New Year.
  Then she explained she was feeling so good, she decided to ring a few numbers at random and share her joy. She didn’t know who I was, and I didn’t know who she was, but it didn’t matter. What a wonderful idea. I wish more people were like her. © Alan Armstrong / Quora

Some wrong number texts also can take an unexpected turn. Check them out.