iPhone 6(S)/Plus Just got a random Facetime 'request' from 800 number

[nickdalzell1]

I am aware of stuff like robo callers and such, and folks who random dial to hit a 'live number' hoping to sell you stuff. I got my iPhone set to silence unwanted callers.

But today my iPad and iPhone lit up with a call from an 800 number saying '[number] is requesting a facetime call' I never saw that number before so I hit decline and then went and blocked it.

What's odd as this phone number I use with my iPhone has only been attached to an iPhone since September of 2019. It was on many different Android phones before that. So obviously someone knows it's attached to an iPhone and they probably know my Apple ID email in order to facetime me.

First, how did they get this info? I never give my info out, not even on these forums. I never use Google apps on my iOS devices, and any Android devices still in use are not tied to a Google account nor is any info about my Apple ID or email or phone number of my iPhone stored on them should they ever get hacked for any reason.

Secondly, why didn't the 'silence unknown callers' stop the FaceTime stranger from ringing all my devices?

Thirdly, I doubt that any robocaller is smart enough to try using Facetime.

 

[IowaLynn]

Happened once. Had just gotten iPhone 6S+ that would support FaceTime. Also 800#. Never had happen since. I'd say there is a way, maybe carriers publish changes?

And it was before the new abuse of taking local numbers existed. I never trusted or used national Do Not Call registry which can be abused.

 

[nickdalzell1]

I use that registry but it's not the least bit effective sadly. It literally does nothing. Best you can do is wait for voicemail and when you hear the little callback number to remove yourself then do it unless you love deleting voicemails every other day. I had my other line get plagued with calls from a school's automated alert system (more like a propaganda system, it kept robo-calling and leaving messages saying things about how your child's nutrition is important and such and it also alerted to snow days. Sheesh haven't kids today ever heard of a radio?) but either way it finally left a voicemail that had the actual district's number to remove yourself. Since I had no kids and was sick and tired of it I called and haven't gotten a single robo call from them since. Since schools are exempted from the DNC registry there was no way to stop it until the voicemail had recorded the opt-out number. Simply calling the number it left messages from would just give you a "This number has security measures to prevent incoming calls. Goodbye!"

But I have no clue how anyone could have found out my number, which was previously on Android phones, is now attached to an iPhone. Or could someone have gotten my Apple ID email address? Not sure how they could have!