"I'm getting married in March"...I just got this weird text message.

United States
October 18, 2008 3:56pm CST
So, here's the story. I just got a weird text message from a woman named Carolyn that says, "I'm getting married in March. How are you?" And, I don't know anyone named Carolyn. Or, at least, I don't think that I do. Should I text back and tell her she has the wrong number or just ignore it? How odd! Have you ever received a text message from someone you don't know? Could it be some kind of advertising gimmick?
9 people like this
32 responses
@fwidman (11514)
• United States
18 Oct 08
I got a couple of strange texts that talked about my share of the rent, for a place that I do not rent. I ignored them as I knew it was a wrong number until I got one that sounded rather grumpy, almost demanding that I fork over my share of this rent. Then I sent them a text back explaining, nicely, that they had the wrong number. That's the last I heard from them
• United States
18 Oct 08
So I'm guessing it was a wrong number.
1 person likes this
@fwidman (11514)
• United States
18 Oct 08
Yes, I suppose it was a very wrong number
1 person likes this
• United States
18 Oct 08
Stuff like that happened to me all the time back when I got my current cellphone last year. I would be constantly getting these weird text messages and phone calls from people that I had no idea who they were. I remember one person, apparently she thought she had texted her friend because in the text message, she kept referring to me as a female. I had to text her back saying she had the wrong number. I remember this girl I know said I should have continued it while pretending to be the girl's friend and messed with her. I don't know if it could be a gimmick or not though. If you don't know anyone named Carolyn, then yeah, I guess I'd text her back saying that I think she had the wrong number and all that.
1 person likes this
• United States
18 Oct 08
Yeah, it was so weird. At first, I thought maybe it was someone I knew from online (under another name) but then remembered that I don't give out my cell phone number. Well, I did recently give out my number when applying for an affiliate program. So maybe they sold it. Not sure how that would benefit them.
1 person likes this
• Australia
19 Oct 08
I got a message once from someone I didn't know. It said, "Hows the day going boys?" I ignored it. Then I got a ring from that lady after and I told her it was the wrong number. She apoligised. Just reply and go sorry you have the wrong number.
@bronie123 (4587)
• United States
19 Oct 08
yeah i have before and weird enough i have sent some text to a few people to LOL for starters my brother changed his number and i forgot so i was texting his old number and finally the person texted me back and told me they thought i had the wrong number and another thing my step mom gave me her number and i typed in her area code one number off so i was texting this lady in georgia rather than my step mom i think i had been texting this lady for about maybe 2 months when about a week ago i texted her (thinking it was still me step mom) at like 6:00 am in the morning asking her about my car info and the lasy called me around lunch time that day i would have never known that i was texting the wrong number if she hadnt called me (she wasnt mad at all but i was a bit embaressed b/c like i say i had been text random messages to this person for about 2 months and never knew it i just though my step mom did answer it never accured to me maybe i had the wrong number
1 person likes this
@genihanna (358)
• United States
18 Oct 08
DO NOT respond if you are sure you don't know his person! All kinds of things come to my mind that could go wrong. If you have an email feature that allows you to block that address, do so as soon as possible. (I use Incredimail which "bounces" it back to the sender and blocks them as well) Too much bad could happen from that! And get yourself a "throw-away" address or one that you use while online and registering for sites, etc. Keep your main email address sacred!
1 person likes this
• United States
18 Oct 08
And delete it immediately!
1 person likes this
@anonymili (3138)
19 Oct 08
Personally I wouldn't be too worried about it, it sounds like a wrong number basically and she's not asking for anything. If I received something like that, I would check the number it's come from and as long as it's a genuine mobile phone number, you can tell from the starting digits, I would just reply "I think you sent me a message intended for someone else as I don't seem to know you!" and leave it at that. There have been cases when phone numbers have been recycled and it could be that this woman sent the message to someone she knew a while ago who she's not been in touch with and wanted to share her good news with. Do what you feel comfortable with hun, if you want to ignore it as that's what you feel is the right thing to do, just ignore it :)
1 person likes this
@Chevee (5905)
• United States
18 Oct 08
I have gotten a text message like that, mines was from a high school student. I told him he had the wrong number I told him I was 58 years old. He texted back do you go to Valley High School, that is the name of our high school here. I just let him have that one and ignored it. Let me know what you decide to do, and if she will except your explanation?
• United States
18 Oct 08
I'm thinking I will just let it go. If it's some sort of marketing ploy, the I'll end up spending ten cents to text her back. And, it might just be a marketing campaign. That's what I'm thinking.
1 person likes this
@subha12 (18441)
• India
24 Oct 08
i am getting few SMS from a number that i do not know. all the messages i got at the time of our festival and before that. at time si thought of writing him back, but ultimately i kept silent
@msmell (1378)
• Australia
19 Oct 08
I had something simpler happen to me a few weeks ago but they just keep ringing me and every time that they rang I told them the woman that she had the wrong number and she would say oh ok and hang up and then 5 minutes later she would call again and in the end I nearly had to do my banana with her coz she just won't stop calling!!! and i said to her look you are not even in the same state as me you have got the wrong number and after that she didn't call again.
@msmell (1378)
• Australia
19 Oct 08
oh sorry for to add so I would say that it is just a wrong number and wouldn't even be bothered with it unless she texted you again then i would just reply back and say who is this as I'm sorry but I can't remember any Carolyn?
• United States
26 Oct 08
I would not answer it. My daughter got a message this week similar and she did not answer it either because she did not know the person nor the number.
@CatsandDogs (13963)
• United States
18 Oct 08
I'd text them back and let them know that they got the wrong number because I had text someone other than my niece telling her how her grandma was doing when she was so sick and the person made a fool out of me which cost me money for texting isn't free and continued as if he/she were my niece until the end of the conversation. So yeah, I'd let them know so they won't make the same mistake again.
• United States
18 Oct 08
That's terrible! I have never heard of anyone doing that before.
1 person likes this
@CatsandDogs (13963)
• United States
19 Oct 08
Yeah and then the next day the idiot text me again some lame message and I just ignored "it"
@skbh12 (2946)
• Philippines
20 Oct 08
[b]hi beautyqueen26! well, i have received a text message that was mistakenly sent to me. the person thought my name was sam and i corrected the person that he/she sent the message to a wrong person. at least that person was aware of it. with the situation you are in, if you are too curious with the text message then i think it is alright to ask the sender if who she is because you don't know anybody named carolyn personally. now if she answers back and still you don't have any idea of who she is then don't bother to reply back. happy posting and happy mylotting![/b]
21 Oct 08
I would ignore it, as its obviously meant for someone else. If I get a message on my phone from someone I dont know I ignore it as it not meant for me. Also in case its a scam I think its best to delete it.
@neildc (17239)
• Lapu-Lapu City, Philippines
20 Oct 08
I also receive some messages from people that I don't have their names in my phone book. Some messages that are spam as they say, forwarded messages, things like that. Usually I ignore these kind of messages. But it the messages tells about something that is like an emergency case, I sent back the message to tell the sender that he may have sent his message to a wrong number...
• United States
19 Oct 08
I think it could be someone who has a wrong number. I would text back and ask who she is trying to reach. Let her know that it is no big deal you just think she has the wrong number and tell her " oh by the way congrats on getting married " that way you dont look like a rude person. But i have recieved weird text messages like that before and it was simply someone put the wrong number in there phone. Have a nice day. Hope that helps.
@twoey68 (13627)
• United States
19 Oct 08
I would text her back and tell her she has the wrong number. I got a photo once in my email that a woman took with her face painted up and she said something like "Hey, look what I'm up to tonight". I sent her back an email and told her that it looked good but who was she? It turned out that she typed the email address wrong and meant to send it to her sister. [b]~~IN SEARCH OF PEACE WITHIN~~ **AGAINST THE STORMS, I WILL STAND STRONG** [/b]
@mialei23 (2385)
• Philippines
19 Oct 08
Weird, maybe this is really a wrong number. Well, some are just making story's just to text them back. That's why If you really don't know the person better not to text them and ignore them at all.. Well, I received a text message, asking for a cell phone load..I think this is very usual now..but I just ignored it.
@jewilim (495)
• Philippines
19 Oct 08
Yup, but i dont mind them. I think if they really have something important to say to me they could try to call me up if its really important. I think i dont have time for those people who text me without introducing themselves, i know that some could be intentional and there are also some which are honest mistakes.. :)
@maroseqf (3657)
• Philippines
19 Oct 08
here in the philippines, there are alot of message that are sent to the wrong person/number. some intentionally "missend" their message to gain friends which are better known as "textmates". some even ask for a load (for prepaid subscribers). well, it's up to you if you would reply or not. but i suggest, you should not reply anymore since whoever it was will soon findout about the message if that was accidentally sent to your number instead of the real carolyn.
@monimo (83)
• Canada
19 Oct 08
this is too easy: if it were a 'gimmick' as you call it, you can tell by the phone number. secondly, people make mistakes all the time, by typing in the wrong number, it's as if I were to punch in the wrong number when I called someone and finally, did the message say I'm getting married in March. How are you? Carolyn. why not text her back, maybe it's important? depending on where you live, you can look at the phone number, and tell if it's some commercial thing.
• Georgia
19 Oct 08
What ever you do, DO NOT respond to that woman if you are sure you dont know her. I got countless text messages from people i dont know. But i think in your case it should be a coincidence. That woman might have texted you by mistake. Such things happened to me a lot. But my advice to you, dont respond just ignore her and ignore that text message.