sundance-communications.com/forum Forums General General Telephone & Systems Information Need help or advice

Last Sunday I was flying home from Washington DC and while I was at the airport I received a message that said it was from Partner Mail VS. The message said my number was listed as a next of kin/emergency contact and that the caller urgently needed to talk to me within the next 24 hours. I was absolutely horrified since my husband has a brain tumor and I did not know if something had happened to him. I live in Austin Texas and the call came from a San Antonio number. I have tried to return the call many times and each time I get a voicemail saying to enter an extension (which I was not given, only a 'case number'). The original caller said his name was Michael Hilton. I always end up with a recording that says the receptionist is not available.

I have to say I nearly collapsed in the airport with fright and now I cannot get in touch with the person who left the message. No one answered at my home so I spent the next five hours on a plane terrified that my husband had died.

Can someone please explain to me who Partner Mail VS is and why would they call me and leave this message? I am very upset and want to file a complaint.

I can be reached privately at [email protected]

Partner Mail VS is a basic voice mail system connected to a customer's Partner telephone system. There are many of them out there as they are (were) made by AT&T. It appears that someone set up their mailbox to notify them of waiting messages, but they entered your number in error. My suggestion would be to call that number during daytime hours and if the system answers, try dialing 0 or 10 to reach a live body, explain your situation, and insist that Michael be scolded. Unfortunately, there's no law against being careless with a phone number, so other than venting your anger, there's not much that can be done.

If the problem continues and you are unable to reach them, you can aways attempt to do a reverse number search using Superpages.com. You might also contact the security/fraud department at SBC/ATT and ask them to contact the owner of the number on your behalf. They won't tell you who it is for safety and security reasons.

Partner Mail VS is a voice messaging system that an office (and some high end homes) have with their Avaya Partner telephone systems. It will answer calls, direct the caller to a specific extension or mailbox. Most people would call this a voicemail system and I'm sure you deal with them every day.

Some Partner Mail VS systems are capable of what is called outcalling. We use that feature here at our office when a customer has an emergency, wants to notify us and there may be no one in the office.

It works like this: the customer is instructed to press "4" if they have an emergency and then they are asked to leave a message and phone number. After that they hang up and wait for a callback. What the Partner Messaging VS does, as soon as the caller hangs up it calls my cell phone, that's how I have it programmed. My cell rings and when I answer I hear in a female voice: Mailbox 25, This is Partner Mail VS. You have a new message. To access your new message press "1" now.

When I press "1" I am taken to the "Welcome to Partner Mail VS" prompt where I have to log into mailbox 25 with a password to get the message.

Now, keeping how this works in mind, it would not be possible for any Partner Mail VS to call you and say any more than Mailbox XX, This is Partner Mail VS. You have a new message. To access your new message press 1 now. It simply cannot say anything else, give any kind of message and is always a female voice which makes me believe that this is some kind of hoax, joke or more likely somebody trying to sell you something.

-Hal

Thanks Ed. Does that mean that the originator of the voicemail I got could come from anyone who is a customer of Partnermail VS? The very strange thing is my cell phone number is something I have only given out to a very small handful of people. That is why I was so frightened. Only my husband's doctor or my close business associates should have the number. I will try to call tomorrow during business hours. I was so busy at work today I did not have time.

Thank you for taking the time to answer and to offer suggestions.

Hal, I just saw your answer. The original voicemail that was left on my cell phone was a live person's male voice that used my first name stating that my number was left 'down here' as the next of kin, emergency contact. He then said his name and that it was imperative he talk to me within 24 hours and left a case number for me to reference. I was not given any voicemail extensions to use.

Do you think this was a scam? I am not one to get really mad or upset but I can tell you what they did to me was cruel.

From what you say this sounds like some sleezeball debt collector trying to get someone (not necessarily you) to talk to them.

-Hal

Beverly, I truly hope that it was just a cruel and nasty hoax. That's just plain sick to call people and leave a message like that for entertainment. Just remember, just because nobody knows your number doesn't mean it can't be accidentally dialed. Nevertheless, the chances of something being "accidentally" set up that has your name is pretty slim odds to say the least.

I hate to say it, but from the manner in which you describe the verbage in the message, it sounds like it may be a police officer or something revolving around an accident or crime. I would continue trying to get through if for no other reason, to set your mind at ease. If it never happens again, consider it a bizarre fluke.

Nevertheless, the chances of something being "accidentally" set up that has your name is pretty slim odds to say the least.

Beverly, do you give your name in your cell VM greeting?

-Hal

Look at the profile.

Actually, now that you mention it, I do have my first name on the voicemail. I work for a large non profit health care organization and I say my name and who I work for.

So maybe that is how the man knew my name! Thanks for thinking of that. The whole thing was so odd because I rarely check my cell phone. I am not an avid user. It was also a fluke that I happen to be in DC and in an airport. The timing of that played a big part in my fears.

The voice had the sound of authority altho they did not identify themselves as a police office. I wonder if it is a bill collector? We held off on one bill to the MRI imaging group because the insurance company was supposed to cover it. My husband had two brain surgeries over the last few years.

man, if it is a scam, how do those people sleep at night?

review what profile?