On my landline — yes, I still have a landline — this caller ID has been appearing regularly for a very long time.
Checking calls from back on the 8th, the 4th, January 18 and January 10, they had the same ID, apparently from Michigan State University, and all the numbers ended in 11xx.
Hmm. I get similar robocalls from my alma mater, so I checked Michigan State’s alumni page. Yep, the main number is 517-884-1000.
I picked up yesterday’s call before the answering machine kicked in. A young woman, sounding like a college student, addressed me correctly by name, and said she was calling from Michigan State University.
Before she could launch into reading her fundraising script, I explained that I attended college in Massachusetts, and have absolutely nothing to do with Michigan State. She seemed flustered, and I assured her that I was sincere. She apologized and hung up.
Some further checking showed that I’m not the only one who’s been called, despite having no connection to the school. Their having my correct name and phone number makes it likely that Michigan State is using a database that’s been padded with files from other, unknown, sources.
Here’s hoping my name has been flagged for deletion at Michigan State. If another call comes in I’ll let it go. I’ve given up trying to convince auto warranty scammers that I’ve never owned a 2012 Jeep.