Apple Called Me

[Harpo]

A strange thing happened. Apple Computer apparently called my house. Someone else picked up the phone and confusedly told them they had a wrong number, because they asked for me by my user name instead of my real name (it's the fake name I use on the internet and also what my computer thinks my real name is).

As far as I know, I haven't given them both my user name and my phone number; if I did, I think it would be with the registration when you first get a Mac. Possibly Apple forums also, but I haven't used them in years and I don't think I would have given my phone number. Thing is, when I use the fake name, I tend to use a fake number also.

On my iTunes/Apple account, they have only my real name.

Why would Apple be calling me, and why in heavens name would they use that name? Have they been calling people recently?

Or maybe it wasn't Apple, and it was someone trying to steal my identity? I still don't know how they got that combination of name and number.

[bartelby]

Have you browsed the Apple store online at all recently and added stuff to the basket?

[Harpo]

Nope. Haven't made an iTunes purchase for weeks either. Do they get my computer user name when I shop? As I said, my real account and anything associated with credit card information has my real name.

[Drumjim85]

i got a call once about getting apple care for my iPhone.

[bigjnyc]

they've been randomly calling people offering them the opportunity to test future products for free. too bad someone told them wrong number :D

[SnowLeopard2008]

i got two calls, both about getting applecare for my iBook G4 (long since stolen) and my MacBook. that's probably why.

[Harpo]

They called you by your username?

[JG271]

They called you by your username?

Pretty sure they call you by whatever the computer is listed as... you have to register when you first install osx. I got a call saying my complimentary phone support was up and the guy on the other end of the phone asked me if I wanted applecare. That said, of the 3 macs we've had/have in the house, only got a call about one of them.

[Harpo]

Considering it more, I find this the right explanation. Registering my computer is the only place I might have used both the fake name and the real number, and the call came, I think, 11 months to the day (1 month from warranty expiration, isn't it?) after I got the computer.

Good good. Thanks everyone for your help. I have been slightly more on guard after seeing in the Console logs a bot trying to brute force into my SSH. I don't know why, since the odds of it getting both my odd username and my long password are slim to none, but it was alarming nonetheless. I used to have an admin account called "New" for testing purposes, that one could easily have been guessed!

[tsice19]

Yeah it was probably for AppleCare or some sort of survey. Highly doubt they were calling about something bad.

[yoyo5280]

I got a call from apple once, after sending a letter to steve jobs!

It was sooo coool.

[trainguy77]

They tend to phone at around 11 months asking if you want to buy applcare. I have had it for every computer in the house.

[mrparet]

I got a call from apple once, after sending a letter to steve jobs!

It was sooo coool.

Care to divulge the details?

[yoyo5280]

Care to divulge the details?

A while back my mac was getting frequent kernal panicks for two reasons. Bad Ram (the ram that came with the mini) and Norton Internet Security software thingys...

I wrote a letter (Addressed to Steve Jobs, sent to apple campus california) politely complaining.

I got a phone call from a guy (I was too excited to catch his name) that supposedly worked with Steve at apple. He offered an apology and said that Apple would try to help fix my computer. (Aka, take it to your apple store kid.)

Still it was cool.

[maceleven]

i have been some strange calls as well (302) number?