How would someone have scanned my phone number?

[CtCarl]

Hello all, hoping someone in the forum might have an answer for me.

The other day, I was waiting for someone in the parking lot of their apartment complex when some rando walked up to me, called out to his SO, "Hey honey, write this down", and then proceeded to read her the digits of my cell number. He was on foot and I can't see how he could have had a Stingray on him.

It's not a big deal because it was a spare "burner" phone that only gets spam calls and I never answer it anyway, but I'm just curious how he could have managed that.

 

[The_Chief]

You think it may have been a prank by someone you know? Maybe using a coworker you don't know as the random guy?

 

[CtCarl]

You think it may have been a prank by someone you know? Maybe using a coworker you don't know as the random guy?

That's a fair question, but definitely not. Not one other person knows that number, I've never given it to anyone, and no one else knew I was going there, not even the person I was waiting for.

 

[The_Chief]

Wow... well I'm stumped, then

 

[CtCarl]

Wow... well I'm stumped, then

I'm assuming that it has to be an app, but I've never heard of one that could scan for nearby phones and return numbers.

 

[codesplice]

I'm assuming that it has to be an app, but I've never heard of one that could scan for nearby phones and return numbers.

Me neither. Android apps aren't able to see the phone number of the device they're installed on without being granted explicit permission to do so. And your phone doesn't broadcast your phone number in any way - Bluetooth and Wifi IDs, sure, but not phone number. It's not possible for an Android app to determine the phone number of a nearby phone.

Any chance this guy might have been a magician?

 

[CtCarl]

Me neither. Android apps aren't able to see the phone number of the device they're installed on without being granted explicit permission to do so. And your phone doesn't broadcast your phone number in any way - Bluetooth and Wifi IDs, sure, but not phone number. It's not possible for an Android app to determine the phone number of a nearby phone.

Any chance this guy might have been a magician?

Starting to wonder the same thing myself.