Fact: I hate the telephone. I have trouble talking to people when I can’t see who I’m talking to; I’d much rather either speak face-to-face or converse in a text-base medium. (I am a writer, after all.) But I’m willing to make an exception for… shall we say, special cases: I am more than willing to call spooky, haunted, cursed, real creepy phone numbers that actually work.
[NOTE: Head here for an updated list of creepy phone numbers that work in 2022!]
It helps, of course, that most of these real scary phone numbers don’t require that you actually speak with anyone; when you dial them, you almost always reach a voicemail box set to play a spooky recording to anyone who rings. Still, though — I will happily set aside my phone phobia in pursuit of that delightful frisson one gets from a brush with the unknown. Especially around Halloween.
Novelty hotlines are nothing new; indeed, I would argue that their heyday occurred during the ‘80s and ‘90s, at which time you could call everyone from Freddy Kruegerto the Ninja Turtles.Their popularity began to wane during the 2000s — but interestingly, we’ve seen them evolve in the years since, too. Thanks to free, online tools like Google Voice, pretty much anyone with internet access can set up a weird novelty number with ease. What’s more, the draw of a novelty phone number might even be stronger than ever — possibly because we so rarely use our phones these days to actually, y’know, make calls. Distance makes the heart grow fonder and all.
[Like what you read? Check outDangerous Games To Play In The Dark,available from Chronicle Books now!]
Sadly, a good deal of formerly wonderful creepy phone numbers are no longer in service (RIP, Call Carrie White) — but I can attest to the fact that the numbers seen here are in working order. I know, because I called every single one of them myself. I am also, you might note, still alive and well, so it’s… shall we say, unlikely that any of these numbers is actually “cursed,” “haunted,” or otherwise dangerous to call. They are, however, all based in the United States, so you might want to be wary of long-distance charges if you’re calling from somewhere else. Phone bills can quickly become one of the most frightening things of all.
So, if you’re feeling brave this Halloween season — or any other time of year — try giving these numbers a ring.
Who knows? Maybe you’ll get lucky.
Maybe one of them will call you back.
951-572-2602
Remember the SCP Foundation? This phone number is a fun little Easter egg pegged to the fictional organization. It’s basically a tip line: Upon calling, you’ll be greeted with a recorded message informing you that you’ve reached the Southern California, Division 19 branch of the Foundation and asking you to leave the date, time, location, and description of an “incident” you may have witnessed — an incident which you believe requires the Foundation’s… unique skill set. The number is based in Banning, Calif., which is located in Riverside County just south of the San Bernardino National Forest.
I don’t know if they call you back, though; I didn’t leave a message. The strangest thing I’ve witnessed so far today has been my cat running around the house like a maniac for about 20 minutes before engaging in a sudden and abrupt nap — which is perfectly normal behavior for her and therefore did not require SCP Foundation intervention.
408-634-2806
[Note: As of April 2022, I received only a busy signal when I called this number, so it may or may not still be in service. You can still hear what used to play when you called by clicking the link below, though.]
A lot of rumors surround this number, the freakiest of which insists that it’s a so-called “red room number” — a number which can allegedly be used to track down the physical location of people who either call the number themselves or answer calls they receive from it, after which they are kidnapped, brought to a “red room,” and tortured, killed, or both. These alleged torture sessions/murders are said to be broadcast live over the deep web.
I can assure you, however, that 408-634-2806 is not a red room number. As far as I know, red room numbers don’t even exist; they’re just an urban legend — a legend which, notably, forms the premise of the of the video game seriesWelcome to the Game. Indeed, it’s not even totally clear how the number 408-634-2806 gained a reputation for being a red room number in the first place; the clearest link I’ve been able to find is still tenuous: YouTube channel MKP Studios’ videoon 408-634-2806 starts out by likening it to an alleged red room number they had previously called,but fails to actually connect the two numbers in any meaningful way.
So: If 408-634-2806 is not a red room number, what the heck is it? Because it’s still really weird-sounding; when you call it, you hear a recording of demonic voices, someone saying “All’s well that ends well,” and a spooky music box. It’s got to be connected to something, right?
The answer is yes. It’s connected to the iOS game Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP, which was released by Capybara Games in 2011.At the end of the game, you’re given a number that turns out to be this phone number.It may have been part of an ARG attached to the game that never quite took off, or it may not have been; I don’t know that the meaning of the message you hear when you call the number has ever been “solved.”
Then again, maybe it doesn’t have to be. Also, it’s worth noting that the message reportedly changed a few times. Just, y’know… FYI.
828-756-0109
[NOTE: If you try this one, make sure you dial it correctly. It’s 828-756-0109. A common misdial for this one goes to a real person’s phone number. If you hear anythingother than the message heard in the video here, you’ve misdialed. Don’t bug the person, and don’t be rude or obscene. But, again, ideally, check to make sure you’ve entered the number correctly BEFORE you hit the “call” button so as to avoid that whole situation in the first place. Also, as of April 2022, I received only a busy signal when I called, so it may or may not still be in service. You can still hear what used to play when you called by clicking the link below, though.]
This number is a true mystery. I can tell you where it’s based (Marion, North Carolina, in McDowell County about 85 miles west and slightly north of Charlotte); I can tell you what you hear when you call it (some earsplitting noises and a man’s voice frantically relaying what sounds like a message coded in binary); I can even tell you what the binary says when it’s been converted into text (“death”); but I can’t tell you anything else. I have no idea who made it, what it means, or what it may or may not be connected to.
It’s super weird, though.
407-734-0254
If you call what is possibly my favorite find from the research process for this post, you’ll reach a clown named Wrinkles who lives in Naples, Fla. and will, according to the Washington Post, “make an appearance at your party or gathering, prank your friend, or even scare your misbehaving kid straight” for the low, low price of a few hundred bucks.Very little is known about the man behind Wrinkles; he’s in his 60s, retired, and originally from Rhode Island, but that’s all he’ll say to reporters. He’s definitely got the evil clown market cornered, though — and if you call this creepy phone number, you’ll get his voicemail. Leave him a message and he’ll call you back.
Update, 11/11/19: More on Wrinkles here.
270-301-5797
Technically this one is a video game tie-in, but as one Metafilter use put it, “You don’t have to know anything about the game to appreciate the sheer oddity and scope of what there is to listen to on this phone number.”That game is Kentucky Route Zero, a magical realist point-and-click adventure that’s been releasing episodes periodically since 2013; episodes one through four are live now, with the fifth and final episode scheduled for release at some point in 2018. It’s delightful — as are the auxiliary experiences developers Jake Elliott and Tamas Kemenczy have been releasing between episodes.
This phone number is one of those auxiliary experiences.Called Here and There Along the Echo, the phone tree you’ll reach if you dial 207-301-5797 purports to be “a guide to the Echo River for drifters and pilgrims” provided by “the Bureau of Secret Tourism.” It’s weird and surreal, yet also wonderfully serene — and there’s plenty to explore as you dial your way through the various menus to which it gives you access. Pro tip: The first time you’re presented with some options, dial 5.
If you’re into Welcome to Night Vale or the works of David Lynch, you’ll probably dig both Kentucky Route Zero and Here and There Along the Echo. Check ‘em out.
786-519-3708
[Nore: As of April 2022, I received only a busy signal when I called this number, so it may or may not still be in service. You can still hear what used to play when you called by clicking the link below, though.]
I’ll confess that I didn’t enjoy the actual gameplay of Hotline Miami that much — I’m kind of, uh, not great at top-down shooters — but the story and storytelling are both A-plus; I’m also a sucker for interesting marketing, and, well… this phone number and the message that was placed on its answering machine in advance of the release of Hotline Miami 2 definitely tick all those boxes. Bonus points for the fact that this creepy phone number is actually a Miami-based number.
The 786-519-3708 phone number wasn’t new for Hotline Miami 2; indeed, the Hotline Miami Twitter account has been tweeting the number since 2012,prior to the original game’s release in October of that year. But in February of 2015,the number appeared with some new context on the series’ Twitter feed: This time, it included an extension number. What’s more, when fans dialed the number, they found that a new message recorded—the message that’s still there today. When properly analyzed, the message combined with the extension number (10) provided a full title and release date for the second game in the series: Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number, to be released on March 10, 2015. And that’s exactly what happened.
The voicemail message is short, but it’s still pretty freaky to listen to; give it a call if you like.
858-651-5050
“Fishing in a mountain stream is my idea of a good time.”
“There was water in the cellar after the heavy rain.”
“Smoke poured out of every crack.”
“Those words were the cue for the actor to leave.”
These are the kinds of sentences you’ll hear if you dial 858-651-5050. They’re spoken by two people — one with a male-sounding voice and one with a female-sounding voice — who just sit there, intoning these poetic yet meaningless messages for as long as you choose to stay on the line.
However, there’s a perfectly rational explanation behind this creepy phone number: It’s a phone testing tool. The sentences, known as Harvard sentences, were chosen for their phonetic balance — that is, “the frequency of sounds in these lists [match] that of natural language,” as Sarah Zhang put it at Gizmodo in 2015; they “hit all the noises a person would typically hear in a conversation.” According to Ernie Smith writing at Motherboard, calling this number allows phone companies to “ensure the signal quality is strong” — that is, it’s the “can you hear me now?” of phone tests.
It’s still weird, though. It’s the lack of context that makes what you hear when you call the number kind of unsettling.
630-296-7536
An oldie but goodie: 630-296-7536 is the original Boothworld Industries phone number. To read the story that launched a thousand phone calls, head here.
801-820-0263
Aaaand here’s the second Boothworld Industries phone number. We’ve covered this one in depth before — check it out here.
701-347-1936
[NOTE: As of January 2021, this number no longer works.]
Like several other creepy phone numbers on this list, this one is a video game tie-in — this time for the infamous Five Nights At Freddy’s series. It’s not clear whether the number is canon or whether it’s fan-made; either way, though, it’s pretty unmistakably FNaf-related to those familiar with the games: The voice we hear seems to be a garbled version of Phone Guy, and about 32 seconds in, the aria “Votre toast, je peux vous le render” from the opera Carmen — colloquially known as the Toreador Song — which signifies the approach of the Freddy Fazbear animatronic in the game kicks in.
It is not, as some YouTube videos featuring the phone number have suggested, a “cursed phone number” that will make you behave erratically and/or kill you “within 24 hours of calling it.”
Whether or not you know the source material, though, it’s still pretty spooky to listen to; give it a ring if you want to see what the hubbub is all about.
978-435-0163
[Note: As of April 2022, I received only a busy signal when I called this number, so it may or may not still be in service. You can still hear what used to play when you called by clicking the link below, though.]
Perhaps the only one of this list’s creepy phone numbers that’s more cryptic than the one featuring binary code that translates to “death” is this one. If you call 978-435-0163, you’ll hear a looped message of a man sobbing. He sounds like he’s maybe in a cave or a sewer; there’s a lot of echo and reverb, and it sounds kind of like something’s dripping somewhere in the background. Oh, and periodically, you’ll hear something screech — something that sounds decidedly not human.
It’s a Massachusetts number — as a Massachusetts native, I recognized that right off the bat — and it turns out it’s registered in Billerica, a town not too far away from where I grew up. But other than that, I know nothing about this number — not who owns it, not what the bigger story might be, not even exactly what’s going on in it.
And that, I think, is the creepiest thing of all.
Oh, hey — gotta run. My phone is ringing.
Even though I’m, uh… not actually expecting any calls.
It’s probably fine.
Right?
Right.
Hang tight, okay? I’ll be right back.
…I hope.
***
Follow The Ghost In My Machine onTwitter @GhostMachine13and onFacebook @TheGhostInMyMachine. And don’t forget to check outDangerous Games To Play In The Dark,available now from Chronicle Books!
[Photo viaISO_S_Fotografie/Pixabay]
FAQs
What happens if you call 8586515050? ›
"Serve the hot rum to the tired heroes." If you dial (858) 651-5050, you'll hear what sounds like the most unusual poem ever produced. It's a series of phrases, recited by both male and female speakers, that sound a little too… well, perfect.
What is a red number? ›In the study of ancient Egyptian mathematics, red auxiliary numbers are numbers written in red ink in the Rhind Mathematical Papyrus, apparently used as aids for arithmetic computations involving fractions.It is considered to be the first examples of method that uses Least common multiples.
How do you use a ghost number? ›Details press schedule call at the set time your phone will ring. And show the usual calling screen
What was the old phone number for time? ›In Baltimore in the 1980s, if you dialed 844-1212, a pleasant automated voice would tell you the exact time. The message was something like this: “Good morning. At the tone, the time will be 8:55 and 50 seconds.” Then there was a curt beep, and the message would repeat with an updated time.
What is a ghost phone number? ›A ghost call or phantom call is a telephone call for which, when the recipient of the call answers, there is no one on the other end of the call. The term is also used in managing IP PBX systems.
Do collect calls still exist? ›For the phone companies, connecting collect calls was a rather profitable business. (And to be clear, it still is — collect calls most definitely still exists. They're typically used by inmates in prisons and there's a lot of controversy around them; you can read more about that here.)
Do numbers have color? ›The most common form, colored letters and numbers, occurs when someone always sees a certain color in response to a certain letter of the alphabet or number. For example, a synesthete (a person with synesthesia) might see the word "plane" as mint green or the number "4" as dark brown.
What was the first phone number? ›The number is now written as 1-212-736-5000. According to the hotel's website, PEnnsylvania 6-5000 is New York's oldest continually assigned telephone number and possibly the oldest continuously-assigned number in the world.
What happens when you call a Burner number? ›Receiving a call
When you receive a call to your Burner line, it will show up on your phone just like any other call and it will look like your Burner is calling you. If you have notifications turned on, you'll also get a notification to let you know it's your Burner that's ringing.
'Ghost chips' was a response to the high number of young Māori men driving drunk and crashing. In fatal or serious-injury-related crashes in 2008–10, 38% of young drivers involved were Māori. The ad became very popular, with over a million views on YouTube in the fortnight after it was launched.
How does a burner phone work? ›
A burner phone, also sometimes called a "burn phone," is when someone purchases a cellphone that they don't intend to use for a long period of time. The buyer will typically get a prepaid phone with credit loaded onto it, which they can dispose of whenever they please without worrying about ongoing contracts.
What is the phone number 555 1212? ›The service allows persons to call the AT&T Directory Assistance Bureau by dialing 1-800-555-1212, to obtain the toll-free service number associated with a particular toll-free service listing.
Can you still call time lady? ›Even in the smartphone age, you can still dial up the time in hours, minutes, seconds. The U.S. Naval Observatory's time-by-phone line received more than three million calls in 2015. Quick, try this: Dial 202-762-1401. Trust us, it's not a scam, but you may be surprised by what you hear.
What happens if you call POPCORN? ›By the way, that old “dial POPCORN” trick is a misnomer … if you dialed the prefix 767 and any combination of four numbers thereafter, you would reach the time. POPCORN was only used to help people remember the prefix.
Where is +91? ›India Country Code 91 - Worldometer.
What does * 82 do when dialing a phone number? ›*82: Unblocks caller id on one outgoing call
Once you hear a dial tone, dial *82 + the phone number you want to dial. Example: *82 818 555 1212. This will allow your caller ID information to be displayed to the person you are calling.
Call toll-free from the phone you want to register: 1-888-382-1222.
What happens when you dial 0? ›The caller is not charged for the call unless the requested party is reached. This method was popular when telephone calls were relatively expensive. The alternative, in which the calling party agrees to talk to whoever answers the telephone, is known as station-to-station.
Is 1-800-COLLECT still a thing? ›Yup, 1-800-COLLECT is still in business—and charging massive fees.
What was 1010220? ›Each service advertised rates that were significantly lower than most telephone operators were charging at the time; 10-10-321, for instance, was a straight pay-per-minute service charging 10 cents per minute, while 10-10-220 was mostly a pay-per-call service, with any call up to 20 minutes charged a flat 99 cents, and ...
What colour is the letter A? ›
Every synesthete's color alphabet is unique, although there are certain universal matches for specific letters. For example, red is often cited as a common color for the letter A.
Can you smell words? ›Lexical–gustatory synesthesia is a rare form of synesthesia in which spoken and written language (as well as some colors and emotions) causes individuals to experience an automatic and highly consistent taste/smell.
Can people taste words? ›A very small number of synesthetes can "taste" words. A new study finds that individuals with this last form of synesthesia—called "lexical-gustatory" synesthesia—can taste a word before they ever speak it, and that the word's meaning, not its sound or spelling, is what triggers this taste sensation.
Does 555 1212 still work? ›555-1212 is still used for directory assistance and 555-4334 is reserved for assigned national use. But a set of 100 555 numbers have been officially designated for use in Hollywood, 555-0100 through 555-0199.
What is the most called phone number? ›The number (201) 867-5309, featured in the hit 1981 Tommy Tutone song "867-5309/Jenny," is being sold on e-Bay by a New Jersey DJ who bought the number in 2004. Spencer Potter, 28, told the New York Times that he thought owning the number would boost his music business.
Are 555 numbers real? ›These were an early form of regional tollfree number which required operator assistance. Only 555-0100 through 555-0199 are now specifically reserved for fictional use; the other numbers have been reserved for actual assignment. 555 use is restricted only in North America.
What color is a 4 in hair? ›Level 4 is the hair color level that is represented as "dark brown". It is one of the most common natural hair colors and also very commonly found in hair dye.
What is the most unpopular color? ›Orange. Above all other colors, orange took home the medal for Most-Hated Color.
Which hair Colour is darker 5 or 6? ›Understanding Hair Colour Charts
1 is black, 5 is light brown, 6 is dark blonde, 7 is blonde and 10 is the lightest blonde.
Definition: Burning number of a graph G is the minimum number of burning steps required to burn a graph. Definition: Burning number of a graph G is the length of the shortest burning sequence.
Does * 67 still work? ›
How to Use *67 on an Android Phone. You can prevent your number from appearing on a recipient's phone or caller ID device when you place a call. On either your traditional landline or mobile smartphone, just dial *67 followed by the number you want to call.
How can you tell if someone has a burner phone? ›- Recording Equipment And/Or Applications. ...
- Look For Cellular Connections In The Area. ...
- Trace The Number (If Available) ...
- Check Receipts And Pay Statements. ...
- Use A Cell Phone Detector.
...
Hot Pepper Ghost Specs.
- Google Voice. Google Voice is a popular service that gives you a separate phone number than your actual one. ...
- Burner. Burner is one of the most popular apps for obtaining an anonymous burner number. ...
- Hushed.
Black SIM is a pure data SIM only which offers you protection against International Mobile Subscriber Identity-catchers (IMSI-Catcher). IMSI Catcher is a mobile eavesdropping device that is employed to intercept mobile phone traffic whilst also being able to track the specific location data of the mobile phone user.
What is a trap phone? ›trap phone (plural trap phones) A prepaid cell phone, often used by criminals to conduct illegal activity.
Can police track burner phones? ›Generally, a burner phone number can be traced. All mobile phones and burner apps go through a cellular carrier or virtual number operator. Your identity can be tracked via call logs, data usage, location, and text messages. Law enforcement can compel companies to provide this information.
How do I get a burner phone number? ›- Make sure you are in the Inbox for 'All Numbers', Tap the Gear icon from the Main Screen located at the top right, then tap Burner Numbers, then + Create Number.
- Choose your Burner type! ...
- Enter an area code for the Burner number you want.
- Choose a number! ...
- You're all set!
"555" is an exchange number commonly thought to be reserved by the phone companies for use by TV and movies in order to prevent prank phone calls to real people. In fact, only 555-0100 through 555-0199 are now specifically reserved for fictional use, and the other numbers have been released for actual assignment.
Can you text the Smormu number? ›text "Smormu" to 555-0100.
What happens if you dial 611? ›
Here's How: Just dial 6-1-1 from any Consumer Cellular phone to speak to a customer service representative. It's free and you won't be charged valuable cell phone minutes! Check back next week for our latest iPhone tip.
What number is the time Lady? ›Another familiar voice was that of Pat Fleet who who eventually took over Barbe's role. Here is a story that Ted Koppel did on both ladies... I miss being able to just pick up the phone and call the "Time Lady". And, it was always fun to write on the bathroom wall: "For a good time call (616) 459-1212!"
What number is the speaking clock? ›Cain's voice was recorded optically onto the glass disks in a similar way to a film soundtrack. The service was obtained by dialling the letters TIM (846) on a dial telephone, and hence the service was often colloquially referred to as "Tim".
When should you call a girl? ›Try to call her when she has free time, such as after school or work or during a lunch break. If you've just met the girl, don't wait too long to call her. You want to make sure that you're still fresh on her mind, so try calling within a day or two of getting her phone number.
What happens when you call 411? ›Most phone companies allow you to access directory assistance service by dialing “411.” Other directory assistance services require a different dialing pattern such as 555-1212, a toll free number or a number that starts with “10-10.” Charges will vary significantly, check the rate before using any directory assistance ...
Does the speaking clock still exist 2021? ›Do people still use the clock today? Yes! At its height the speaking clock commanded around 250 million calls per year.
Does 853 1212 still work? ›What that means is that people throughout Southern California will no longer be able to call 853-1212 to hear a woman's recorded voice state that “at the tone, Pacific Daylight Time will be . . .” with the recording automatically updating at 10-second intervals. “Times change,” said John Britton, an AT&T; spokesman.
What does a red number mean on Iphone? ›If the call was from one of your contacts for whom you have multiple numbers, you will see a Recent badge above the number. If you missed the call, however, the number will be shown in red.
What color is the number 5? ›Grapheme-color synesthesia is believed to be the most common. Grapheme-color synesthetes perceive numbers and letters as colors: a five may be a blue number, while the number two is green.
What does a red Missed call mean? ›Answer: A: The one in red are the ones you missed a call. the black ones are the ones that you either called someone or you answered a phone. Posted on Aug 19, 2008 5:23 PM.
What does a red name on Facetime mean? ›
Recents. Every call you've recently made, answered, missed, or even just dialed appears in this list. Missed callers' names appear in red lettering, which makes it easy to spot them—and to call them back. Tap a name or a number to dial.
Why is there a number 1 on my calendar icon? ›This is a shortcut to Google Calendar. The number *seems* to increment/decrement randomly. As I recall it only changes once a day, but sometimes not every day. I see no parameter that the number in the icon is linked to.
How can you tell if someone blocked your number? ›You'll have to manually call the person to find out if the number is blocked. Then, you'll need to call the person's phone. Depending on the blocking method, you'll get a delivery receipt, but it won't show the blocked number. But the good news is that you can easily find out if someone has blocked your number.
What color is a 4 in hair? ›Level 4 is the hair color level that is represented as "dark brown". It is one of the most common natural hair colors and also very commonly found in hair dye.
What is a 1B hair color? ›1B hair color is the natural color of black. We can call it off-black color and it is the closest to black that natural hair can go. Jet black hair, also known as #1, is not a natural hair color.
Is No 5 lucky or unlucky? ›| Zodiac Animals | Lucky Numbers | Unlucky Numbers |
|---|---|---|
| Horse | 2, 3, 7 | 1, 5, 6 |
| Goat | 2, 7 | 4, 9 |
| Monkey | 4, 9 | 2, 7 |
| Rooster | 5, 7, 8 | 1, 3, 9 |
Means call forwarding is on: Settings>Phone>Call Forwarding>On/Off.
How can I check someones call history? ›- 2.1 Spylix - The Best Tool to Check Someone's Call History Online for Free. ...
- 2.2 FlexiSpy - Check Someone's Call History Online for Free. ...
- 2.3 XNSPY - Call History Checking App. ...
- 2.4 Spyzie - Call History Checker App. ...
- 2.5 mSpy - Check Someone's Call History.
How to find Call Logs on your phone. To access your call history (i.e. a list of all of your call logs on your device), simply open your device's phone app which looks like a telephone and tap Log or Recents. You'll see a list of all incoming, outgoing calls and missed calls.
What is the 27th color? ›27 hair color, someone would call it honey blonde color or strawberry blonde. The color is a mix of brown, blonde, and a bit of red, and it is similar to reddish-brown in human hair colors.
What is lucky Colour? ›
Lucky colours: Green (especially light green), silver, creamy yellow and grey are good.
What number is white? ›