April Fools Special: Know Whose Telephone Number Is This to Prevent From Being Deceived

I would want to make use of this commentary to share few personal experiences from my loved-ones with the intention of helping us realize how imperative it is to recognize who is on the other line.

April 2009, Ella sold his brand new iPod after getting anonymous call instructing her to do so, claiming it was her god mother from abroad which she have not seen for so many years after asking whose telephone number is this. Few days later, she found out it was just one of the April fools stunt when she verified the call from an online phone directory.

It was just last month, March of 2011, when my aunt got text messages from unknown number saying "Madam, one of these days you will find your kids abducted." It was really terrifying. Is this a warning? Does this serve as a threat? Or simply just a hoax? Whichever reason the sender might have, it needed serious action. We tried going to a police station although proper questionings were made, with the goal of knowing whose telephone number is this, side comments such as "Why bother for just a text message?" was heard. Why not I said, there are lives at stake, not only for my cousins but for their whole family as well.

Even some hospitals suffered from prank callers. A friend of mine, few months ago got a call from his physician saying that his youngster has come into contact with a deadly disease and was already having severe drop in platelet count. It means that the child is in need to have a blood transfusion. The father naturally became frantic about it and contacted all his associates and relatives seeking for a blood donor. I, being a nurse, then followed up with the attending medical doctor regarding the lab exam results. To our relief the doctor said that the patient was fine and that he was not the one who called and relayed the detail. Security then took action trying to find whose telephone number is this that they used to startle the family.

Thank God for caller ids along with even greater functions of technologies invented today, screening is then within reach, a big help even if we don't inquire whose telephone number is this. Nonetheless, even applications for smart phones or androids could not prevent ALL SMS or calls that are meant to bamboozle, irritate or scare. So always be alert and be fool-proof even after the 4th month of the year!