Here’s a riddle for you: have you ever gotten a spam voicemail without a phone call?
It happened to me. Yes, me! And it happened a few days ago. I was sitting on the train when I heard my phone vibrate in my pocket. I took it out to find that I had a new voicemail. “Huh,” I said to no one. I checked the call log to see who it was. There was no call there. None. I checked Google Voice to see if it came from there, and it hadn’t. Hopped over to voicemail and heard an all-too-familiar, “Keep listening for an important message!” I deleted it on the spot.
While my Google skills failed me, I was able to find an ancient Slashdot article about this, noting that some telemarketers use backdoors to get into providers’ voicemail systems. I assume this is the technique that was used. And man, does it suck.
(As a side note on advertisements no one wants: at the doctor’s office yesterday, I noticed that my doctor’s prescription pad had an ad on its inside flap. I mean, really.)
Posted in Technology