Remember the ’80s? Consumers in Delaware are getting a rude reminder thanks to the number 867-5309 popping up on their caller-ID displays when telemarketers call, according to the Wilmington News Journal.
“867-5309/Jenny” was a hit for the band Tommy Tutone in 1982. The song’s popularity resulted in the number being retired in several area codes.
The practice of disguising a caller’s identity behind an innocuous telephone number (a.k.a. spoofing) is legitimately used by those involved in criminal investigations. But it’s been co-opted by bail bondsmen and unscrupulous telemarketers, the News Journal reports.
Nostalgia was the last thing on consumers’ minds when their phones rang during the wee hours of the morning and they were subjected to recorded mortgage-refinancing pitches, according to the newspaper. Delaware does not have an 867 exchange.
At the end of the call, consumers were invited to press 1 and leave information for a subsequent contact. The paper didn’t identify any marketers that actually followed up with respondents.
At least three unrelated plumbing firms — Gem Plumbing and Heating Services Inc., of Lincoln, RI; Benjamin Franklin Franchising LLC, a national plumbing operation; and Clearview Plumbing & Heating Ltd. of Canada — use the number in a variety of area codes.
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