So a friend of mine got a call yesterday:
"Sorry Mr (Name), we are calling about your flight with (Name) to (Destination). Unfortunately the flight has been rescheduled. Bla bla bla, personal details, all sounded legit. Please call back."
Friend calls back on the phone, hears what sounds like someone reading a book and paper being ruffled, can't make out accent or whatever, goes on Airlines website and contacts the number there, seems to have been a genuine call.
Today friend says "Weirdest thing happened, I got a call from North Korea...". What?! I ask. He tells me the story, he's flying to Israel via Turkey in 3 weeks. Now normally this is a funny story but in the heightened security tensions, this is hardly something to ignore. We google phone call from North Korea (+850) and the actual number, nothing, apart from a North Korean being executed for CALLING a number outside NK, it's clear they have their telephone network on extreme lockdown. So either a Turkish Airline had outsourced their customer care to NK (unlikely and illegal) or North Korea had redirected their calls for espionage purposes and done at shitty job at covering their tracks. So he's like, but it's not my fault they called. Then he realises HE CALLED THEM BACK.
I don't know about you but being unable to answer the Question "Why did you call North Korea" in Israel or Turkey is not a situation I'd like to be in. After talking it through, he's going to report it to his embassy and the Israelis and ask is it still ok to visit Israel (better to find out now than when he's out there). What would you do? What SHOULD you do? Considered reporting to the Americans but they might just put you on the NFL 'just to be safe'. Interpol also a good enough bet?
Or is this a no big deal and plenty of ye have gotten calls from NK? Do ye have any explanation why a non North Korea number would show up as North Korea? (even if so doesn't explain the weirdness when he called back).
"Sorry Mr (Name), we are calling about your flight with (Name) to (Destination). Unfortunately the flight has been rescheduled. Bla bla bla, personal details, all sounded legit. Please call back."
Friend calls back on the phone, hears what sounds like someone reading a book and paper being ruffled, can't make out accent or whatever, goes on Airlines website and contacts the number there, seems to have been a genuine call.
Today friend says "Weirdest thing happened, I got a call from North Korea...". What?! I ask. He tells me the story, he's flying to Israel via Turkey in 3 weeks. Now normally this is a funny story but in the heightened security tensions, this is hardly something to ignore. We google phone call from North Korea (+850) and the actual number, nothing, apart from a North Korean being executed for CALLING a number outside NK, it's clear they have their telephone network on extreme lockdown. So either a Turkish Airline had outsourced their customer care to NK (unlikely and illegal) or North Korea had redirected their calls for espionage purposes and done at shitty job at covering their tracks. So he's like, but it's not my fault they called. Then he realises HE CALLED THEM BACK.
I don't know about you but being unable to answer the Question "Why did you call North Korea" in Israel or Turkey is not a situation I'd like to be in. After talking it through, he's going to report it to his embassy and the Israelis and ask is it still ok to visit Israel (better to find out now than when he's out there). What would you do? What SHOULD you do? Considered reporting to the Americans but they might just put you on the NFL 'just to be safe'. Interpol also a good enough bet?
Or is this a no big deal and plenty of ye have gotten calls from NK? Do ye have any explanation why a non North Korea number would show up as North Korea? (even if so doesn't explain the weirdness when he called back).
