Top 20 truly scary phone numbers you should never call, ever
You have probably watched horror movies that got you scared of mysterious phone calls and were left wondering if such events happen in real life. Nothing scares the hell out of a person like a phone call sending them to a strange world where they cannot inform their loved ones about their whereabouts. People believe that the worst things can happen to you or your loved ones if you call or receive calls from some globally known scary numbers.
You might have heard about some scary numbers to never call and multiple controversial explanations about the dire consequences of calling or texting those lines. However, if you are looking for a thrill, this article lists numbers people claim will give you strange responses when you call or text.
What are some scary phone numbers to call?
It is difficult to verify the truth or accuracy of these stories about the consequences of calling some scary phone numbers. It is believed that most are only for pranks and hoaxes. If you want to try them out, below is a list of scary numbers to call when you are bored:
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1. 270-301-5797 (USA)
The number allegedly connects the caller to a strange world. You will hear a strange, confusing, whimsical voice on the other end of the line. The voice then takes you on an auditory journey to a fictional Echo River in another world.
2. 909-390-0003 (USA)
The "echo number" allegedly puts you in touch with yourself. When you call this line, the receiver repeats everything you say in your exact voice, tone, and accent. The number is used to check a phone's audio delay, but hearing your voice on the other end of the line is still pretty creepy.
3. 0802-311-1999 or 0802-222-5999 (Nigeria)
In 2004, rumors spread over email in Nigeria about phone numbers colored red. As the story goes, these "red numbers" would produce frequencies that could lead to hearing loss or a deadly injury. There is no proof to support these claims.
4. 10 000 000 (Asia)
People believe that 10 000 000 (Asia) is the dead's number. If it calls you, your deceased loved one wants to contact you. A male voice will allegedly command you to ask 15 people to call him or die within a week for defying his orders.
Do not call this line because the dead do not have numbers. The number only creates an illusion that you can reach out to the deceased loved ones you miss badly.
5. 0888 888 888 (Bulgaria)
The Bulgarian number allegedly claimed the lives of its three owners. These incidents shook the entire Brazil, where the victims were residing. The story got more interesting when the company that issued blocked the line blocked permanently.
6. 090 4444 4444 (Japan)
090 4444 4444 is Sadoko's Cursed line in Japan. It is presumed that calling this line will have you listening to strange noises that will give you nightmares. Moreover, your loved ones might die, or another tragedy can strike your life within the same week you make the call.
Since Sadako is the main protagonist in one of the creepiest and most famous Japanese traditional folktales, the country's top telecommunications company, One Plus, had to skip the number 4 series and release a Plus 5 edition to ease tension among the people.
7. The Red Number (Pakistan)
Pakistanis received alarming emails and text messages in 2007 about a Red Number call that damaged brain nerves because it had a high-frequency range.
Surprisingly, the emails and text messages were traced to different phone contacts and IDs. The government investigated the issue, but no one was held responsible. It dismissed the rumors, but the people never forgot the terrifying ordeal.
8. 999 9999 (Thailand)
999 9999 is believed to be Thailand's phone number of death. It is said that some filmmakers created this narrative to promote a movie.
Calling these scary phone numbers might send you to the future world or the past, where you will experience bittersweet consequences.
You can make a wish, and it will be fulfilled, but a deadly car crash will soon wipe you off the face of the earth. The myth is common among people residing in Thailand's urban setups.
9. 20202020 (UK)
A book allegedly containing true ghost stories featured a story about the dead's contact in the UK. The book narrates that in the 1970s, children in the UK could call this mysterious line free of charge via a pay phone.
A devastated anonymous woman on the other end of the call would cry, "Help Me! Help Me! Susie's dying!" Susie must have died so many times if a million people called the line.
10. 1 (216) 333 1810 (USA)
You allegedly hear a daughter pleading with her mother to spare her life when you call 216 333 1810. The story further states that she gets locked in a room, and gunshot sounds fill the back end. A popular rock band used this tactic to receive the world's attention. You can call it to find out the truth about this line.
11. 1 (201) 404 2404 (USA)
Promoters of the movie Carrier thought it was brilliant to set up this contract to market and advertise the film without considering the consequences.
The number had severe adverse effects on people's minds. Callers would receive three petrifying responses: a shrieking scream, a ghostly song, and an eerie whisper.
12. 913 535 6280 or 207 536 8474 (USA)
People calling the Pennywise haunted numbers would allegedly speak to a fictional Derry Police department. It is believed they would hear the sounds of Pennywise slaughtering a police officer and drop the calls in shock.
Filmmakers who turned Stephen King's novel into a blockbuster film named Alamo Drafthouse came up with the scary Pennywise numbers to push the movie towards supernatural success. These phone contacts are active today and are still among scary phone numbers to call or text.
13. 408 634 2806 (USA)
Red Room number 408 634 2806 (USA) is among the top scary phone numbers you should never call. It is believed kidnappers will track your location if you call or receive its call. They will torture and kill you and then air on the web video footage of your last minutes or days on earth.
14. 666 666 6666 or 1 (666) 666 66666 or 666 (USA)
These scary numbers are considered America's ghost numbers but cannot be tracked to any physical location. It is alleged those who called these lines encountered strange things, including dreadful messages and noises.
The famous religious stories about hell and the devil add flavor to the myths behind these numbers. Generations endlessly retell this story because almost all religions have a devil.
15. 828 756 0109 (USA)
When you call this number, a male voice allegedly makes loud noises on the other end of the line. The noise sounds like a binary code, which tempts you to decode the secret death message. There are no known death cases so far from this contact.
16. 801 820 0263 (USA)
When you call or receive a call from this number, a man allegedly repeatedly counts numbers 1, 3, and 7, followed by someone calling your name, telling you what you are doing and where you are. It seems like he is tracking your phone.
17. 701 347 1936 (USA)
It is said that this cursed number will kill you within 24 hours of calling it. A man says for 32 seconds, "Votre toast, je peux vous le render." The sentence is part of a famous French song called Carmen by G. Bizet.
18. 407-734-0254 (USA)
The ghost number will allegedly connect you to "Wrinkles the Clown." He is a real-life clown based in Naples, Florida. The clown apparently offers various services, including performing at parties and intentionally scaring children.
You can call him to appear at your party, prank your friends, or even intimidate a misbehaving child. Others claim that the phone number is answered by a ghost who lives in the same city.
19. 828-756-0109 (USA)
A phone company in Marion, North Carolina, in McDowell County, about 100 kilometers west of Charlotte, owns this number. You may hear disturbing and blaring noises when dialing the number.
Callers also reported hearing a man frantically transmitting what appeared to be a binary message. When converted to text, this binary message spells out the word death.
20. 646-868-1844 (USA)
You will allegedly be greeted by an unusual voice when you call this number. It is believed that if you hang up the phone, you will receive a text message with a jumbled combination of words within seconds.
What are some scary phone numbers to never call?
Below are some scary phone numbers people believe have dire consequences when you contact them:
Phone number | Alleged response | |
1 | 270-301-5797 (USA) | You will hear a confusing, whimsical voice |
2 | 909-390-0003 (USA) | You will listen to your echo |
3 | 0802-311-1999 /0802-222-5999 (Nigeria) | You will have a hearing loss |
4 | 10 000 000 (Asia) | The number connects you to dead people you loved |
5 | 0888 888 888 (Bulgaria) | It allegedly claimed the lives of its three owners |
6 | 090 4444 4444 (Japan) | Sadoko's Cursed Line will give you nightmares and a curse |
7 | The Red Number (Pakistan) | Its high-frequency range will damage your brain nerves |
8 | 999 9999 (Thailand) | The number will send you to the future or past |
9 | 20202020 (UK) | You hear a woman crying for help |
10 | 1 (216) 333 1810 (USA) | You will listen to a girl pleading with her mother to spare her life |
11 | 1 (201) 404 2404 (USA) | You will hear a shrieking scream, a ghostly song, and an eerie whisper |
12 | 913 535 6280 / 207 536 8474 (USA) | You will hear Pennywise killing a police officer |
13 | 408 634 2806 (USA) | Kidnappers will track and capture you |
14 | 666 666 6666 /1 (666) 666 66666 / 666 (USA) | You will hear dreadful messages and noises |
15 | 828 756 0109 (USA) | A male voice will make loud noises |
16 | 801 820 0263 (USA) | A man will tell you what you are doing and where you are |
17 | 701 347 1936 (USA) | A cursed number that will kill you within 24 hours |
18 | 407 -734-0254 (USA) | The contact number for Wrinkles the Clown,who scares children |
19 | 828-756-0109 (USA) | You hear disturbing and blaring noises |
20 | 646-868-1844 (USA) | You hear an unusual voice and receive strange texts |
What are some scary numbers to call at 3 am?
It is alleged that you can contact a dead loved one at 3 am through 10 000 000 (Asia), call 999 9999 (Thailand) to visit your future or past, or 913 535 6280 or 207 536 8474 (USA) to hear Pennywise killing a police officer.
What are some scary numbers that actually work?
Below are some scary numbers that still work and alleged consequences for contacting these lines:
- 828 756 0109 (USA) - A male voice will make loud noises
- 801 820 0263 (USA) - A man will tell you what you are doing and where you are
- 701 347 1936 (USA) - A cursed number that will kill you within 24 hours
- 407 -734-0254 (USA) - The contact number for Wrinkles the Clown, who scares children
- 828-756-0109 (USA) - You hear disturbing and blaring noises
What are some scary numbers to prank call?
Five spooky phone numbers you can dial with your friends for fun are:
- 828-756-0109 (USA) - You hear disturbing and blaring noises
- 646-868-1844 (USA) - You hear an unusual voice and receive strange texts
- 20202020 (UK) - You hear a woman crying for help
- 909-390-0003 (USA) - You will hear your echo
- 270-301-5797 (USA) - You will hear a confusing, whimsical voice
What is a ghost call number?
A ghost or phantom telephone number is a contact you can call or text but won't get a response because no one is on the other end of the line. The term is also used in managing IP PBX systems.
What does it mean when a number turns red?
If a contact's number is red on your iPhone, you can't send iMessage the number. However, you can send them a regular SMS message.
What are the Pennywise haunted numbers?
It is believed that when you call 913 535 6280 or 207 536 8474 (USA), you will hear Pennywise killing a police officer.
What does Sadoko's Cursed Line do to its victims?
It is believed calling Sadoko's Cursed line 090 4444 4444 (Japan) will give you nightmares and a curse. Mythical stories claim Sadako can steal the souls of her victims and turn them into vengeful ghosts who can assist her in perpetuating a curse. The curse is a smallpox virus mutated by Sadako. It creates a tumor in the victim's throat, and after seven days, they will die of a heart attack, the face of horror being a side effect.
Don't be afraid of these scary phone numbers. Most stories about them are lies. First, technological mishaps sometimes make phones release weird noises. Secondly, phone testing in the telecommunications industry uses real numbers and recorded voices from real humans. Therefore, you can hear disturbing sounds when you call some lines.
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Jackline Wangare (Lifestyle writer) Jackline Simwa is a content writer at Briefly.co.za, where she has worked since mid-2021. She tackles diverse topics, including finance, entertainment, sports, and lifestyle. Previously, she worked at The Campanile by Kenyatta University. She has more than five years in writing. Jackline graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Economics (2019) and a Diploma in Marketing (2015) from Kenyatta University. In 2023, Jackline finished the AFP course on Digital Investigation Techniques and Google News Initiative course in 2024. Email: simwajackie2022@gmail.com.