BS: Area code 472

Subject: RE: BS: Area code 472
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 13 Nov 09 - 01:40 PM

If you want to know why you sometimes get only silence when you answer the phone, you need to understand how telemarketing "call centers" work when they use modern dialing machines to save time for their human employees.

For a complete explanation, see the Wikipedia article Predictive dialer, especially the paragraph Silent calls.

If an ordinary person is calling you, they will probably say "hello" less than a second after you say "hello." If there is a delay of even 2 or 3 seconds, it's probably a machine calling you.

Subject: RE: BS: Area code 472
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 13 Nov 09 - 12:47 PM

As far as I can figure, 472 gets you to Agri, Turkey only if you are calling from within Turkey, or if you have first dialed the country code for Turkey, which is 90.

Also, 472 wouldn't get you to Oslo, Norway either unless you first dialed 011 (or whatever the international access code is in the country you're calling from).

I imagine 472 could mean a lot of things depending on what numbers appeared before it.

Since RangerSteve didn't mention any numbers before 472, I imagine that's exactly how it appeared on his caller ID: 472-xxx-xxxx or maybe 1-472-xxx-xxxx. If so, he was right to call it an (apparent) area code.

He was also right to say area code 472 doesn't exist. See this web site: Area-Codes.com which says: Area Code 472 does not exist. If you received a call from this number, it is likely that the number was faked.

This article at Wikipedia about Caller ID spoofing confirms that such things are possible. The article says there was once a bill in Congress to make such spoofing illegal, and it was passed by the House, but the bill died because the Senate never put it to a vote.

So it appears spoofing is perfectly legal, at least in the US. Therefore, I assume it is widespread.

It is not paranoia to want to know who is calling you, and to be annoyed by unidentified or (even more so) by falsely identified callers.

I'd say it's extremely unlikely that this kind of thing could be an "innocent mistake."

Subject: RE: BS: Area code 472
From: GUEST,Tucson
Date: 12 Nov 09 - 07:59 PM

Oh yes, one more thing. The paranoia by some on this thread is pathetic. Some people probably just made an innocent mistake and you guys think is a conspiracy. I guess everyone here has never made a mistake dialing a telephone number. Must be nice to be perfect.

Nice touch swearing at the caller, I am sure they were impressed with your inability to tolerate an honest mistake and further support the notion of the rude, classless American. Did you consider that maybe a 9 year old girl was trying to call her Grandma, made a mistake dialing and was indoctrinated to English profanity by you.

By the way, if you think Norwegian and Turkish are similar languages, you need to go to the library more often.

Subject: RE: BS: Area code 472
From: GUEST,Tucson
Date: 12 Nov 09 - 07:42 PM

472 is NOT a BS area code because it is not an area code.
It is the country and city code for Oslo, Norway.
47 is the country code, 2 is the city code for Oslo.
My friend lives in Oslo and when he calls me on his cell phone, my caller ID shows 472-255-xxxx (xxxx to protect his privacy).
Inbound international calls from cell phones (especially GSM "world phones") usually do not show the 011 on our caller ID's.
To call Norway use 011 + 47 + xxxx - xxxx.

http://www.howtocallabroad.com/norway/

Subject: RE: BS: Area code 472
From: GUEST,MsCookie
Date: 23 Oct 09 - 06:57 PM

I got 3 calls just this evening from a 472 number. When I answer there is no-one on the line. Not sure what kind of hoax it could be, but I don't doubt that they are up to something. The calls stopped after I said a few choice words to the silence...LOL

Subject: RE: BS: Area code 472
From: Jack Campin
Date: 03 Oct 09 - 09:07 PM

One possibility that comes to mind: Agri is almost on the border with Armenia, and the reason for its militarization is the long standoff between Turkey and Armenia (the border has been mostly closed since 1989). It might be an Armenian tactic to launch a fake mass garbage-dialling campaign as a way of provoking an indirect denial-of-service attack against Agri. (Can't see how it would work, the Turkish military doesn't depend on the phone service).

Or perhaps more likely, since Turkey and Armenia have been having some sort of rapprochement in recent months, it might be some nationalist fringe group from either country trying to sow bad feeling.

Subject: RE: BS: Area code 472
From: Jack Campin
Date: 03 Oct 09 - 07:27 PM

So why didn't the OP get 00 90 472 as the dialling code?

Could equally well be Grimsby in the UK, or Baotou in China. Or 800-472, the freephone number for Pepsi in Egypt.

I am sceptical because from what I know of Agri it is a bloody unlikely place to run a phone scam from. Crawling with policemen, soldiers and gendarmerie, and with a civilian phone service like a wet piece of string. Do anything at all to attract the attention of the law and what happens to you won't be pretty.

Subject: RE: BS: Area code 472
From: Peace
Date: 03 Oct 09 - 06:51 PM

A site that further explains Royston's post.

Subject: RE: BS: Area code 472
From: Peace
Date: 03 Oct 09 - 06:45 PM

Adana Area Code 322
Adiyaman Area Code 416
Afyon Area Code 272
Agri Area Code 472
Aksaray Area Code 382
Amasya Area Code 358
Ankara Area Code 312
Antalya Area Code 242
Ardahan Area Code 478
Artvin Area Code 466
Aydin Area Code 256

Subject: RE: BS: Area code 472
From: Royston
Date: 03 Oct 09 - 06:37 PM

don't think the case is closed.

472 is not the international dialling code for Turkey. Like 1 is USA and 44 is UK.

I can't remember the dialling code for Turkey but say it was 99. If you got a call from turkey then it would show caller ID [phone].

Subject: RE: BS: Area code 472
From: Peace
Date: 03 Oct 09 - 06:09 PM

Get in touch with the Turkish government. They have a different way of dealing with folks.

Subject: RE: BS: Area code 472
From: RangerSteve
Date: 03 Oct 09 - 06:03 PM

Ok, thanks. Problem solved. Mudcat is great.

Subject: RE: BS: Area code 472
From: pdq
Date: 03 Oct 09 - 05:01 PM

Perhaps it's a scam involving Nigerian turkeys?

Subject: RE: BS: Area code 472
From: Alice
Date: 03 Oct 09 - 04:54 PM

Area Code 472 is Agri, Turkey.

calls from 472, scam discussion board

Subject: RE: BS: Area code 472
From: Amergin
Date: 03 Oct 09 - 04:53 PM

Call Ferret-472 area code

Subject: RE: BS: Area code 472
From: Amergin
Date: 03 Oct 09 - 04:51 PM

One website says it is from Turkey....

Subject: BS: Area code 472
From: RangerSteve
Date: 03 Oct 09 - 04:48 PM

I've been getting some mysterious phone calls. They don't leave a message on my answering machine, but when I call *69 to get the number, the area code is always 472. There's no such area code in the U.S. Has anyone else gotten calls from this area code? I'm starting to think it's related to a scam. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.