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Original poster

Someone is booking restaurants in my name and with my phone number. Is there anything I can do about it?

165 replies

You4coffee · 05/04/2024 18:22

For about the last six weeks, someone has been making large bookings (8-10 people) at restaurants in my name with my phone number and when I don't turn up the restaurant rings me. They have my full name and phone number. And are obviously put out that they've lost a booking.

They seem to be genuine restaurants, all over London. I live in London but don't particularly know any of the areas or individual restaurants.

I wasn't particularly concerned but it seems to be increasing. It was one a week for a while but this week I've had at least one phone call a day.

I can't think of anyone who'd have a vendetta against me but it does feel personal! And I feel bad for these restaurants that are mostly small local businesses rather than large chains.

Had anyone experienced anything like this? Is there anything I can do? There doesn't seem much point in changing my phone number or reporting to anyone?

OP posts:
AromanticSpices · 15/04/2024 17:15

is it still going on, @You4coffee ?

LadyEloise1 · 18/04/2024 17:26

And update @You4coffee

Original poster
You4coffee · 18/04/2024 18:34

I forgot to update but yep have had a couple of calls but not as many as when I first posted this.

But I'm a step closer to finding out who is doing it. I hadn't told anyone at work that this has been going on - and completely unprompted a colleague told me of another colleague who was getting strange calls. I got in touch with him and he's getting restaurants but also gyms calling him.

We worked together on one project last year - there were a few contractors who worked with us as well. We suspect it's one of them. No idea why though - I thought we'd finished the project on good terms!

We're catching up next week. I'll post again if there's any update.

OP posts:
Agapornis · 18/04/2024 18:48

What a strange thing to do! Maybe go to HR together and make them aware this happening? (depending on how good your HR is) Hopefully you can whittle down which contractor it is.

Pinkbonbon · 18/04/2024 19:14

What about the colleague that told you the other colleague was getting these calls. How did they know?

S/he would be my primary suspect.
Telling you about him getting the calls in order to get you to talk about your experience. So they can find out how it's affecting you and revel in it.

Like the killer returning to the scene of the crime to get a kick out of it.

Think about it, what are the chances, like you say, that unprompted, a colleague starts telling you about the exact same scenario that's happening to you, happening to a college that s/he happened to talk to. About that very thing.

I mean its possible of course...if you're all in the same office. But - you said you had to email him.

Pinkbonbon · 18/04/2024 19:18

*sorry you said "get in touch with" not email. But still implying he's not in the same office as you...?Or, the colleague who told you about it?

Pinkbonbon · 18/04/2024 19:37

Just a thought of course. But imo, whoever doing it is probably going to want to know its affecting you. So someone who brings it up with you unprompted...is suspicious as fuck. Even uf it just seems like it was a flyaway bit of gossip.

Whatifthehokeycokey · 18/04/2024 19:45

You4coffee · 18/04/2024 18:34

I forgot to update but yep have had a couple of calls but not as many as when I first posted this.

But I'm a step closer to finding out who is doing it. I hadn't told anyone at work that this has been going on - and completely unprompted a colleague told me of another colleague who was getting strange calls. I got in touch with him and he's getting restaurants but also gyms calling him.

We worked together on one project last year - there were a few contractors who worked with us as well. We suspect it's one of them. No idea why though - I thought we'd finished the project on good terms!

We're catching up next week. I'll post again if there's any update.

I was hoping to hear more about this! Do keep us updated.

WillYouPutYourCoatOn · 18/04/2024 19:54

Pinkbonbon · 18/04/2024 19:14

What about the colleague that told you the other colleague was getting these calls. How did they know?

S/he would be my primary suspect.
Telling you about him getting the calls in order to get you to talk about your experience. So they can find out how it's affecting you and revel in it.

Like the killer returning to the scene of the crime to get a kick out of it.

Think about it, what are the chances, like you say, that unprompted, a colleague starts telling you about the exact same scenario that's happening to you, happening to a college that s/he happened to talk to. About that very thing.

I mean its possible of course...if you're all in the same office. But - you said you had to email him.

Edited

It's her. Omg it's her. (Him)

Pinkbonbon · 18/04/2024 20:30

Unless it's more convoluted than that and it's actually him and he mentioned these supposed calls were happening to him to your colleague in the hope that she'd (I'm just assuming she at this point to make it less confusing lol) speak to you about it - and you'd contact him. But I think that's probably too far down the rabbit hole lol.

Arconialiving · 18/04/2024 21:37

Pinkbonbon · 18/04/2024 19:37

Just a thought of course. But imo, whoever doing it is probably going to want to know its affecting you. So someone who brings it up with you unprompted...is suspicious as fuck. Even uf it just seems like it was a flyaway bit of gossip.

I thought this too!

fromaytobe · 18/04/2024 22:28

There's no fun to be had in doing this sort of thing and then not getting a kick out of it because the victim says nothing. I agree with others, and it is highly likely the perpetrator is your gossipy colleague.

I'd be interested to know how come the other colleague told them about it, and why they then felt the need to mention it to you...

BresciaBike · 18/04/2024 23:00

I'm rather invested in this given your latest update!

HoHoHoliday · 19/04/2024 00:40

Pinkbonbon · 18/04/2024 20:30

Unless it's more convoluted than that and it's actually him and he mentioned these supposed calls were happening to him to your colleague in the hope that she'd (I'm just assuming she at this point to make it less confusing lol) speak to you about it - and you'd contact him. But I think that's probably too far down the rabbit hole lol.

This was my immediate thought! Watch out for him 👀

TeabySea · 19/04/2024 10:02

Was woken by doorbell ringing repeatedly. It was a man from a DIY company with a delivery of bags of topsoil.
I haven't ordered any and nor has DH.
The guy had our address but that was all. He left rather huffing when we said he'd have to check with the depot and contact the customer.
Guessing it was an honest mistake but it made me think of this thread.

Gonnagetgoingreturnsagain · 19/04/2024 10:26

Agapornis · 18/04/2024 18:48

What a strange thing to do! Maybe go to HR together and make them aware this happening? (depending on how good your HR is) Hopefully you can whittle down which contractor it is.

I would definitely dig deeper to find out who it is (maybe get your HR to do some digging as it seems to have impacted 2 of you) and make sure (either to the contractor themselves or the agency or whatever they're hired through) that some sort of message gets across to whoever is doing this, depending on how far you want to take it, that unless this stops right now and doesn't happen again that you'll be going to the police and reporting them for whatever crime it would be. I'd be deadly serious too.

Maybe your HR will take this seriously, maybe not, but with proof hopefully a back off signal from HR and/or police will get them to stop. Unless, as I said before, you want to take it further.

Gonnagetgoingreturnsagain · 19/04/2024 10:42

WillYouPutYourCoatOn · 18/04/2024 19:54

It's her. Omg it's her. (Him)

Show quote history

It could be her/him or it could not be her/him.

This reminds me years ago, (early 90s) when in our office where I then worked we had a spate of thefts. Notes being taken out of handbags and wallets left around the office which had 4-5 floors including a basement area where the IT dept was. We'd had a new young male office junior start recently who was quite cheeky and a bit of a Jack the lad but harmless enough. There was a friendly/serious talk at one of our 'lunch time socials' (we all had to attend, with sandwiches) about this pickpocketing spate by the Chairman, as it was considered 'serious' and the company wanted it to stop, but by itself rather than accusing someone outright.

The Chairman's PA then had money taken from her handbag - she was furious and next time she saw him, unwisely accused the office junior of stealing from her, with no proof. Office junior was really upset, insisting it wasn't him. It turned out, one day, about a month later, some office staff were working late on a project which often happened, there was a male graduate (we employed a few of these) there who assumed most people had gone home which most of whom had done. But the computer IT Director when he'd left that day and had already started on his journey home, realised with a panic he'd not backed up the huge backup computer disk/hard-drive, which he was supposed to do every so often (it was in the days of huge machines in rooms/cupboards that did hard drive computer backups) and he had no choice but to return to sort it out which he did. He walked to the floor where the graduates worked to get a glass of water from the water cooler, and came across the male graduate with his hand in another colleague's coat pocket with a wallet inside, hanging up from a coat stand where he couldn't be seen in a corridor/coat area. Director questioned him about this of course. Turned out it was the male graduate all along who'd been stealing money from people, who was fired and threatened with police action (none was taken though). Chairman apologised to office junior and gave him a cash bonus apparently as an apology on behalf of his PA accusing him.

So it's not always the person you think it is!

WillYouPutYourCoatOn · 19/04/2024 18:20

Gonnagetgoingreturnsagain · 19/04/2024 10:42

It could be her/him or it could not be her/him.

This reminds me years ago, (early 90s) when in our office where I then worked we had a spate of thefts. Notes being taken out of handbags and wallets left around the office which had 4-5 floors including a basement area where the IT dept was. We'd had a new young male office junior start recently who was quite cheeky and a bit of a Jack the lad but harmless enough. There was a friendly/serious talk at one of our 'lunch time socials' (we all had to attend, with sandwiches) about this pickpocketing spate by the Chairman, as it was considered 'serious' and the company wanted it to stop, but by itself rather than accusing someone outright.

The Chairman's PA then had money taken from her handbag - she was furious and next time she saw him, unwisely accused the office junior of stealing from her, with no proof. Office junior was really upset, insisting it wasn't him. It turned out, one day, about a month later, some office staff were working late on a project which often happened, there was a male graduate (we employed a few of these) there who assumed most people had gone home which most of whom had done. But the computer IT Director when he'd left that day and had already started on his journey home, realised with a panic he'd not backed up the huge backup computer disk/hard-drive, which he was supposed to do every so often (it was in the days of huge machines in rooms/cupboards that did hard drive computer backups) and he had no choice but to return to sort it out which he did. He walked to the floor where the graduates worked to get a glass of water from the water cooler, and came across the male graduate with his hand in another colleague's coat pocket with a wallet inside, hanging up from a coat stand where he couldn't be seen in a corridor/coat area. Director questioned him about this of course. Turned out it was the male graduate all along who'd been stealing money from people, who was fired and threatened with police action (none was taken though). Chairman apologised to office junior and gave him a cash bonus apparently as an apology on behalf of his PA accusing him.

So it's not always the person you think it is!

Show quote history

Difference is, office junior man did nothing to suggest he was anything other than innocent, and then got accused regardless.

OP's colleague is behaving oddly.

Unwitting · 20/04/2024 09:31

Yes. My money's on the colleague who brought the subject up because they're looking for a reaction from you. And I'd expect them to pretend omg it's started happening to them too in order to deflect suspicion from them. I can't believe I just typed all that - am officially overinvested now!

shoppingshamed · 20/04/2024 09:44

Unwitting · 20/04/2024 09:31

Yes. My money's on the colleague who brought the subject up because they're looking for a reaction from you. And I'd expect them to pretend omg it's started happening to them too in order to deflect suspicion from them. I can't believe I just typed all that - am officially overinvested now!

Exactly, an "unprompted" conversation about a person who it sounds isn't particularly important in your life, we need to know more about exactly how the conversation went

Was it "Hello Sue, lovely weather today, did you know that random Bob has been getting some odd phone calls?"

DetectiveMac · 30/04/2024 19:07

Any update @You4coffee ?

HelpIneedaworktop · 30/04/2024 19:13

Ooo the plot thickens. My bets on the person who told you. Contractor from a year ago is too much of a Timelapse.

LadyEloise1 · 30/04/2024 19:28

Well @You4coffee, any update ?
It's nasty to you and to the restaurants.
Horrible.

LaurieFairyCake · 30/04/2024 19:42

Bloody hell Shock

A contractor holiday a grudge for a YEAR against two of you !

Original poster
You4coffee · 30/04/2024 19:45

Yep there is an update. Turns out there's a reason why my colleague was sure it was one of the contractors. He'd kept in touch with her. From the messages I've seen been them, he led her on a bit - romantically and suggesting there was more work available in my team.

So seems that she's taken offence when the work didn't materialise. Why she couldn't just get in touch with me directly and ask, I'll never know.

Ive sent her a message and then blocked. I've also reported to the police and got a crime ref number. I don't think they're going to do anything as my evidence is all a bit tenuous. But I've given the ref number to my colleague if he wants to report as well. I've also told HR etc. I'll also follow it up if I get any more calls. I've not had any for a week or so hopefully that's the end of it.

OP posts: