The Great Phone Number Mix-Up of 2023 (And Why I Keep Getting Called ‘Brenda’)



We’ve all been there. The phone rings, you answer with your usual chipper “Hello?”, and are immediately met with a confused, “Uh, is Brenda there?” Usually, a simple, “Sorry, wrong number,” suffices. But what happens when that wrong number… just… keeps… calling?

The Case of the Persistent Pizza Delivery

It all started innocently enough. A few weeks ago, I received a call from a very enthusiastic young man asking if I wanted to hear about the daily pizza special. Now, I love pizza as much as the next person (maybe more, let’s be real), but something about his exuberance screamed “wrong number.”

“I think you may have the wrong number,” I offered gently.

“Is this Brenda’s phone?” he chirped.

“Nope, definitely not Brenda,” I confirmed, slightly amused.

And yet, the calls persisted. For a solid week, I received calls about pizza specials, dry cleaning pick-ups, and even a particularly concerning inquiry about Brenda’s goldfish (apparently, Bubbles wasn’t looking so bubbly).

A person sitting at a computer, frantically searching 'how to find the owner of a phone number' with a determined expression