To be a bit creeped out by this phone call in the middle of the night?

[ReginaFalangeee]

Sorry bit of a long story-

My mum received a phone call on the landline in the dead of night, around 3am.

She rushed downstairs to answer thinking one of the family had been in an accident.

When she answered there was a child
on the line (she thinks older primary school age boy) saying they were lost in a popular local wooded area, could she come and pick them up?

Apparently they didn’t sound scared and were very matter of fact about it but my mum was really worried about a child being lost and alone in the middle of the night and says against her better judgment she would have left to look for them had her car not been in for repairs.

According to my mum, this is a transcript of the call, from what she can remember.

Child- I’m lost down local wooded area, can you come and pick me up?

Mum- thinking this was grandson, (Grandson’s name) is that you, are you ok? How did you get down there? Where are your mum and dad?

Child -I don’t know, I’m lost. Can you pick me up?

Mum- realising it’s not grandson. What’s your name? Are you hurt? What’s happened? Where are your mum and dad?

Child- repeats I’m lost and stuck down local wooded area. Can you come and get me.

Mum- why didn’t you phone your mum and dad or the police? How did you get my number? I think I’d be better to call the police to come and help look for you.

Child- hangs up.

She phoned the police immediately who came round within 30mins and they took a statement the went and had a good look round the woods. No one was there.

The police came back to my mums after checking and asked if anyone would play a prank on her. If she’d fallen out with my one recently or if anyone would have a reason to make a phone call like that. My mum couldn’t think of anyone/or any reason.

They tried to call 1471 and trace the number but it was withheld. Also the weird thing is my mums number is ex-directory so unless they dialled a random number they would have had to know it.

My mum doesn’t seemed to phased by it and has written it off as a prank call but I can’t help being very creeped out by it. I think someone was either trying to lure her down the woods or was checking if she was home.

What do you think?

YABU - just a prank call, no need to be alarmed.

YANBU- definitely sinister

You mentioned her grandson, could he have been on a sleepover and it was one of his friends hence why her number was chosen? Like a dare type thing?

That is so creepy!

Summer holidays, 3am, child calling - I’d assume it was kids on a sleepover or something pulling a prank

I think (and hope!) you're right.

PP have been watching too many thrillers. It doesn't sound like anything of the sort.

Have you any idea how many kids have amused themselves since the dawn of the telephone, making prank calls?

How would this fictitious "someone" who was "trying to lure her into the woods" know her landline number?
Unless they knew her in real life, in which case they'd think up a more likely scenario, lure-wise.

I agree it's probably kids on a sleepover dialling a random number

My mum doesn’t seemed to phased by it and has written it off as a prank call but I can’t help being very creeped out by it

And have you bothered your mum with your over-reaction?
Don't.
She's hardly likely to go haring off to the woods at 3am now is she?
So why are you creeped out?

but my mum was really worried about a child being lost and alone in the middle of the night and says against her better judgment she would have left to look for them had her car not been in for repairs.

So she only called the police because she didn’t have a car. If she had her car, she wouldn’t have called the police but would have gone herself? Wowsers.

Very weird. If I get a landline call at 3am it is a very rare emergency - grandchild being born, student child stranded in danger in Panama etc.

By the way loads of people know landline numbers. Mine i s not ex directory and one of the 2 landline numbers is on my work website! Landline nukmbers are not all dire secrets and I have had the same main home one since the 90s and the previous owners had it before then.

That sounds like a a scam call, very worrying.

In what way is it "worrying" @Lookingforrecommendations ?

My only issue with the random prank call theory is how would they know the name of the local woods? I get there are area codes but they cover a huge area

I'm guessing kids in a house who know your mom thats how they got the number

It is weird and creepy but I would recommend never volunteering someone’s name (is that ‘grandson’s name’ you?).

Did they say 'local wooded area' or did they name a specific place? If they said 'local wooden area', I'd be more inclined to think it was just a random prank call.

When we were (stupid!) kids, we would ring random numbers during the daytime and ask for 'Mr Long Wait' or 'Mrs C.U Soon' and then giggle and hang up. This call (at 3am) is definitely on a different level but I think if they didn't name a specific place, it's possible the call wasn't local or from someone who knew her address, just a random nasty prank.

It's good that your mum called the police OP

Yeah, all the burglars I know have a list of the landline numbers of their intended victims. At 3am, their underground lair is lit up with frenzied activity, as the apprentice burglars act as telesales agents, ringing round the houses until a hapless householder falls for their evil script ...

It is weird and creepy but I would recommend never volunteering someone’s name (is that ‘grandson’s name’ you?)

This, 100%

I think prank as well.Summer holidays dragging on .Kids bored .Years ago we had a call at midnight re an accident very worrying .However just a wrong number .Chances are no one would have been there had she gone(thank Goodness she didnt!) And stupid kids laughing like a drain about someone getting out of bed for nothing!

Probably a silly prank but i would be very grateful that car was not available and that mum would think it through next time rather than leaving the house. Good she called the police and I expect that would be her first reaction next time rather than heading out.

Yeah, all the burglars I know have a list of the landline numbers of their intended victims. At 3am, their underground lair is lit up with frenzied activity, as the apprentice burglars act as telesales agents, ringing round the houses until a hapless householder falls for their evil script ...

This does happen in other countries, believe it or not

Prank.

There’s some twats doing prank calls like this on tiktok. I’ve seen them do them live and also recordings of them. They’ve said things like loved ones have been in accidents or have been attacked. Horrible people and scum encouraging them laughing along. Ignore.

Quite @HoppingPavlova
It's the most unlikely part of the whole tale.

It didn't occur to her to wonder how a child she does not know had her phone number, & rang her instead of 999 or their own folks?

Balderdash.

3am is a YouTube thing, I think it is a sleepover prank

Scam call or prank. Have either of you reported it to the police?

They especially go for ex-directory numbers.

Hopefully it is just a prank

How unnerving
she did the right thing tho Best to get the police involved just in case it was something dodgy
although could have been a daft prank

I suspect the following:

OP’s mum’s grandson is on a sleepover with other boys.

They all swapped phones with each other and rang a number in those phones with a prank call, this boy picking Grandma’s number

Or this boy is dominant and a bit of a twig or bully and took the grandson’s phone and prank called the grandson’s Grandma’s number.