Duplicate number?

[Leemur]

Help please.
I've had my number since 1998. It was originally on a Vodacom contract - that was the only option then. I've since switched to MTN (probably over 5 years ago). My problem is that I keep getting calls intended for someone else - some business, some personal. The business calls obviously have my number on their database as this other person's number. I have two questions 1) how can this happen? 2) How can I stop it? Thanks

 

[mister]

Help please.
I've had my number since 1998. It was originally on a Vodacom contract - that was the only option then. I've since switched to MTN (probably over 5 years ago). My problem is that I keep getting calls intended for someone else - some business, some personal. The business calls obviously have my number on their database as this other person's number. I have two questions 1) how can this happen? 2) How can I stop it? Thanks

1. Numbers are not unique to a person
2. You can't

 

[Leemur]

Thank you. I thought a number was unique to a sim card though. Am I wrong about that too? Is there any way I can find out how many others have the same number as me?

 

[supersunbird]

Thank you. I thought a number was unique to a sim card though. Am I wrong about that too? Is there any way I can find out how many others have the same number as me?

You misunderstood him. If I open an account at Edgars, and I give Leemurs number as my number, Edgars won't know that. I have the ability to provide Leemurs number, my voice does not go mute when I try to pronounce the number, as supersunbird I am also able to pronounce the number.

So the issue is, someone provides your number as their number.

 

[Rocket-Boy]

You misunderstood him. If I open an account at Edgars, and I give Leemurs number as my number, Edgars won't know that. I have the ability to provide Leemurs number, my voice does not go mute when I try to pronounce the number, as supersunbird I am also able to pronounce the number.

So the issue is, someone provides your number as their number.

Yup, sadly its too easy to give out another number as your own in those situations.
My wife used to get a ton of calls from all manner of business until she found out that one of her staff members was giving out my wife's number when applying for accounts!

 

[Rocket-Boy]

Thank you. I thought a number was unique to a sim card though. Am I wrong about that too? Is there any way I can find out how many others have the same number as me?

No an MSISDN is unique, that would be your cell number.
A SIM card also has a unique identifier but it has to be associated with an active MSISDN on the network, all calls will then be routed to that SIM.

So your cell number should be entirely unique, everything else is variable to facilitate for lost/stolen SIM's etc.

 

[The Voice]

Had my number for about 15 years. Used to get random calls from Edcon demanding payment because I was apparently R5000 in the red. They stopped, though, when I asked the guy "do I sound like Mrs Tshabalala?".

Just remember that there is nothing stopping some random person opening an account somewhere with YOUR phone number.