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Comment by alister | Hacker News Reader

> Getting a new, out of state number

The problem with that idea is that when you make local calls, people think that you are the spammer.

I too have an out-of-state number after having moved, and I can definitely confirm that when I make a local call, some people will not pick up after seeing the unusual area code on their caller ID. They told me so.

There's another problem too: Even when I leave voicemail for a local business (plumber, dentist, replying to a "for sale" ad), some people will be thinking, Why does this guy need a plumber or want to buy my kayak if they live 1500 miles away?

I've resorted to leaving an explanation saying "Even though my area code is XYZ, I'm in the same city as you".

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Almost all of the spam calls I receive have the same area code as my phone, which is in a different state from where I currently live.

These people who don't pick up for an unusual area code: don't they know that spammers are more likely to call from a "usual" area code? Am I mistaken?

Exactly, and not just the same area code, the spammers often have the same prefix as my phone number too... so it looks like someone "just around the corner".

> Even though my area code is XYZ, I'm in the same city as you

The area code wouldn’t be a red flag for me, but this absolutely would.

I moved from British Columbia (250 area code) to the Montreal suburbs (450 area code). The one digit difference was a huge issue: the number of times businesses and government agencies would helpfully "correct" my phone number when I gave it to them or when they tried to call it meant I missed a substantial number of important phone calls. I get it, my French isn't the greatest and I have a thick Anglo accent, but "deux cinq zéro" sounds very different from "quatre cinq zéro." Eventually I just gave up and got a local number (I ported my old one to VOIP.ms and forwarded it so I wouldn't miss calls).

Wow that seems crazy to me. I grew up in the northeastern US where even 3 decades ago, before a large expansion, we had 7 area codes within an hour drive. It would be bizarre to make such an assumption about someone, even then. When I lived in Boston, there was tons. Eastern Massachusetts alone has 339, 351, 508, 617, 774, 781, 857, and 978 as local area codes.

That's weird to me, honestly. Does everyone expect you to get a new phone number anytime you move long distances?

Everyone i know has kept their phone number for years. You'd think businesses would be used to people who moved from out of town but kept their number.

I don't call places much aside from doctors/etc tho, so i guess i just haven't had that issue personally.

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