Getting calls or texts meant for someone else?

It’s your number now. Their records may not have caught up.

A phone number can change hands while a company still associates it with an old customer. The result can be a stream of payment reminders, debt-collection messages, or other calls meant for a stranger. You do not become that person, or take on their debt, by receiving their calls.

Whether those calls support a TCPA claim depends on more than the wrong name. The technology used, the type of line, any consent you gave, and applicable exemptions all matter. Prerecorded or artificial-voice messages can be especially important to preserve.

What makes a wrong-number call worth reviewing?

A review starts with the details. You do not need to know the legal terminology before contacting us.

• The caller identifies a person other than you.
• The message uses a recording or artificial voice.
• You have never dealt with the company calling.
• The same company has contacted you repeatedly.
• Calls continued after you explained that it was the wrong number.

Tell them once, and keep a record.

If you choose to respond to a legitimate company, clearly explain that you are not the person they want and ask it to stop contacting you. Note the date, company name, and what you said. There is no need to keep engaging or disclose personal information to an unknown caller.

Keep existing voicemails, complete text threads, and call logs. A request to stop can be useful evidence, but whether such a request is legally necessary depends on the claim. Do not assume that you must answer more calls to have your situation reviewed.

What about reassigned numbers?

A reassigned number is simply a phone number that has been given to a new subscriber. Records showing when you acquired the number may help distinguish you from the intended recipient.

The FCC’s Reassigned Numbers Database lets callers check for permanent disconnections since a relevant date. Qualifying reliance on an erroneous database response may provide a safe harbor. Its existence does not mean every company is categorically required to check it before every call.

A free review starts with your story.

Jason and Zach Ryburn can evaluate what happened and whether a claim may be appropriate. Tell us who called, whom they wanted, how the message sounded, how often it happened, and whether it continued after you asked them to stop. A wrong-number call does not automatically establish liability, and no recovery is guaranteed.

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