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As long as people have smartphones, they will keep texting the wrong numbers. Whether it's a person who didn't know they were given a fake one at a bar or someone who honestly made a typo, it's inevitable.
But as natural as it sounds, receiving such a text is always a surprise. So, to prepare you for this moment, Bored Panda has compiled a list of screenshots of some of the most unexpected wrong number messages. We're talking warnings in the form of a grape photo, and never-ending announcements of incoming chili. You know, the good stuff. After going through these, believe me, no random stranger will catch you off guard via text.
Continue scrolling to check out the entries and be sure to fire up our earlier list about the funniest wrong number texts, too!
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
So how is one supposed to answer to a misdirected text? Out of all the ways to handle it, politely letting the offending party know what happened is the kindest route you can take. Typically, they will probably either apologize and immediately cut ties or send a novel filled with uncertainty and insecurities. So if you choose the noble route, be ready for the consequences.
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#2
But if you're positive you don't know this person, so can use the prime opportunity to... be a dick about it. If that's what your heart demands, of course. However, remember that there's a real human being with real feelings on the other end and you have no idea what condition their mental state might be in. And, of course, they have your phone number. So naturally, there are limits.
When in doubt, a simple "sorry, I think you have the wrong number" should (hopefully) be enough. But if things start to get out of hand, you can always call your service provider and have that particular number blocked.
#8
chi-wei shen 5 years ago
Celebrating the Spaghetti monster by jumping naked over a fire? Seems to be an interesting cult.
#12
chi-wei shen 5 years ago
That person tried to fire Donald. There are many people who want to get rid of Donald.
#14
#19
Hilary Mol 5 years ago
"If you're not the person I'm trying to text, why do you have this number?"
#21
Pseudo Puppy 5 years ago
"you know you're telling a literal stranger about your d**k right now, so I don't think the 9 inches was the problem tbh"..... brilliant! :D
#24
bryguy 5 years ago
This one is pretty obvious they did it on purpose, to multiple people likely. Bunch of teenagers on their knees worshiping shrek? K.
semelina pitrone 5 years ago
actually, this could be real. there are some crazy people in the world.
Dark Pearl 4 years ago
Why are people so obsessed with a green meme ogre? He is not LOVE, he is not LIFE, he is a GREEN MEME OGRE.
AndyR 5 years ago
I don't understand these - are there phones where people enter the number every time they text or something?
Jace 5 years ago
Some people don’t add numbers to their address books and/or name them. Some people are given numbers and mess them up when they type them in for the first time or the original person messed it up or lied... etc.
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#29
#35
Cactus juice 🧃 yip yip! 5 years ago
These are my tips for Jamaica I went there in 2015: 1. It’s better to travel with someone 2. Stay at a 4 or more star hotel. There may be some shady places 3. If you want to go sightseeing, book a tour with a tour guide so you have a local person to make sure you are safe 4. Never go anywhere alone 5. I would totally recommend going to Dunn’s River Falls & Park in Ocho Rios, you can climb a waterfall!
#36
Hilary Mol 5 years ago
Is "bar hoping" going from bar to bar hoping they won't notice you're carrying a fake ID?
#38
chi-wei shen 5 years ago
It would have been really mean if this conversation has stopped after the first reply.
#42
Cactus juice 🧃 yip yip! 5 years ago
Awwww always give a stranger a Dino nuggie you never know how much it will help them
#44
#48
chi-wei shen 5 years ago
That's a situation where DNA tests would be helpful, no matter how well Stacy raised Lucas.
#52
chi-wei shen 5 years ago
It's a nightmare for any phone owner if the number is erroneously listed and people keep calling.
#62
Eva the Ravenclaw Bookworm📚💖 5 years ago
I think something's wrong with your... plucked turkey?🤣
#66
ElusiveIntrovert 5 years ago
I was in a pub once with a friend of mine, the DJ announced that it was someone's birthday but I guess that girl had just left the pub, I don't know what got into me but I stood up on my chair, took the bow, got a free slice of cake and 4 shots. In my defense I was already high. :P
#76
#78
Kathryn Baylis 5 years ago
Yeah. Food costs less when you have to cook it yourself. It’s funny that way.
#83
chi-wei shen 5 years ago
Maybe I'm old fashioned but I think this announcement shouldn't be done via text message. Make a phone call for something important.
#95
#100
#103
#105
#108
Mme de Poppadom 5 years ago
Kids! Get the hottest new texting app since SnapChat: Perpus runs on all devices and has no more spyware than TikTok. PERPUS. When you are pretty sure you have the right number, text on Perpus!
#115
#116
#118
#119
chi-wei shen 5 years ago
I also would be angry if a wrong number pretended to be the correct one.
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What do you think ?
Eva the Ravenclaw Bookworm📚💖 5 years ago (edited)
*agast* No such thing as enjoying THIS too much!!!!
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Mama Panda 5 years ago
The last 4 digits of my phone number are 1234 (no joking). I get random calls all the time. At first I was angry then I realized that these poor souls were given fake numbers and it just happened to be my number. So then I started helping them either find who they are looking for or with whatever they are trying to do. It's been really rewarding to help out and not be a b***h about things.
Martha Meyer 5 years ago
Someone who was given a wrong number has a high chance of being a creepy dude though...
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littlesaresare 5 years ago
Am I the only one that doesn't find amusement in stringing strangers along, particularly when its to screw up something important, like organising fake shifts and fake events?
juice 5 years ago
small stuff is fine, like sending them bizarre pictures or setting up a bad pun. but it's not ok to screw with their lives. (and if you don't tell them you're the wrong person, at least make it so outlandish that there's no chance they'd actually believe you...)
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juice 5 years ago
yes, but numbers get changed. and when given a new number, some people type it wrong into their contacts.
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Tres D 5 years ago
I once got a text from a woman and after a few exchanges she was asking me if I was still up for the 3some with her and her husband. We chatted for days before I told her she had the wrong number.
Jonathan Koury 5 years ago
I keep getting requests directed to "Cheryl" wanting to buy her house. So I respond by saying, "This isn't Cheryl, but I heard her she-shed burned down so you might want to reconsider that offer."
Ginger Winters 1 year ago
Cheryl no one burned down your she shed it was hit by lightning (he says while watering the lawn in the middle of a storm looking sus)
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ArhomR 5 years ago (edited)
This happened to me at Thanksgiving. I texted my daughter and a friend. Got the friends number wrong and invited someone to dinner if they’d bring pumpkin pie. S’truth. My daughter begged me to stop. My “friend” thought it was good fun. Me too.
ArhomR 5 years ago
She had other plans and hates pumpkin pie. Fair enough.
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Martha Meyer 5 years ago
I will never understand how people even end up texting a stranger. I only use numbers that I've saved, of people I know. How do you even end up typing in a number manually to text someone?!
Aileen 5 years ago
There are 120 posts, but a lot of them are repeats are earlier ones. Anyone else experiencing this? Maybe it's just a glitch on my end.
deanna woods 5 years ago
At one point, I was getting holiday greetings every holiday from the person who had my number before's friend. I would tell them that I wasn't their friend, but I still thanked them for the greetings. Most recently someone sent a text to me about the fact that they were going to the doctor. Again, I didn't know the person but I wished them the best of luck. Sometimes getting a wrong number can be embarrassing and other times you get to meet some interesting people.
Rita Maneata 5 years ago
We used to get voicemails from an older woman who was trying to call her friend to give her updates. I really enjoyed hearing from her.
Load More Replies...
Mimi777 5 years ago
Past couple of months I’ve been getting texts and calls from a wrong number. Sometimes it’s a different person who calls but that same number I tell them multiple times they have the wrong number but they continue to call and text lol and I have a s****y cheap phone for now so i don’t think I’m able to block on it.
Dan Pieniak 5 years ago
Funny..... I'm surprised at some that did not believe they had the wrong number. I use to get regular phone calls from people I did not know, and at times they would argue with me when I told them they had the wrong number. Too bad they did not have more people play along with the clueless person.
Eva the Ravenclaw Bookworm📚💖 5 years ago (edited)
*agast* No such thing as enjoying THIS too much!!!!
Load More Replies... Mama Panda 5 years ago
The last 4 digits of my phone number are 1234 (no joking). I get random calls all the time. At first I was angry then I realized that these poor souls were given fake numbers and it just happened to be my number. So then I started helping them either find who they are looking for or with whatever they are trying to do. It's been really rewarding to help out and not be a b***h about things.
Martha Meyer 5 years ago
Someone who was given a wrong number has a high chance of being a creepy dude though...
Load More Replies... littlesaresare 5 years ago
Am I the only one that doesn't find amusement in stringing strangers along, particularly when its to screw up something important, like organising fake shifts and fake events?
juice 5 years ago
small stuff is fine, like sending them bizarre pictures or setting up a bad pun. but it's not ok to screw with their lives. (and if you don't tell them you're the wrong person, at least make it so outlandish that there's no chance they'd actually believe you...)
Load More Replies... juice 5 years ago
yes, but numbers get changed. and when given a new number, some people type it wrong into their contacts.
Load More Replies... Tres D 5 years ago
I once got a text from a woman and after a few exchanges she was asking me if I was still up for the 3some with her and her husband. We chatted for days before I told her she had the wrong number.
Jonathan Koury 5 years ago
I keep getting requests directed to "Cheryl" wanting to buy her house. So I respond by saying, "This isn't Cheryl, but I heard her she-shed burned down so you might want to reconsider that offer."
Ginger Winters 1 year ago
Cheryl no one burned down your she shed it was hit by lightning (he says while watering the lawn in the middle of a storm looking sus)
Load More Replies... ArhomR 5 years ago (edited)
This happened to me at Thanksgiving. I texted my daughter and a friend. Got the friends number wrong and invited someone to dinner if they’d bring pumpkin pie. S’truth. My daughter begged me to stop. My “friend” thought it was good fun. Me too.
ArhomR 5 years ago
She had other plans and hates pumpkin pie. Fair enough.
Load More Replies... Martha Meyer 5 years ago
I will never understand how people even end up texting a stranger. I only use numbers that I've saved, of people I know. How do you even end up typing in a number manually to text someone?!
Aileen 5 years ago
There are 120 posts, but a lot of them are repeats are earlier ones. Anyone else experiencing this? Maybe it's just a glitch on my end.
deanna woods 5 years ago
At one point, I was getting holiday greetings every holiday from the person who had my number before's friend. I would tell them that I wasn't their friend, but I still thanked them for the greetings. Most recently someone sent a text to me about the fact that they were going to the doctor. Again, I didn't know the person but I wished them the best of luck. Sometimes getting a wrong number can be embarrassing and other times you get to meet some interesting people.
Rita Maneata 5 years ago
We used to get voicemails from an older woman who was trying to call her friend to give her updates. I really enjoyed hearing from her.
Load More Replies... Mimi777 5 years ago
Past couple of months I’ve been getting texts and calls from a wrong number. Sometimes it’s a different person who calls but that same number I tell them multiple times they have the wrong number but they continue to call and text lol and I have a s****y cheap phone for now so i don’t think I’m able to block on it.
Dan Pieniak 5 years ago
Funny..... I'm surprised at some that did not believe they had the wrong number. I use to get regular phone calls from people I did not know, and at times they would argue with me when I told them they had the wrong number. Too bad they did not have more people play along with the clueless person.
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