travelguy_73 Posted March 13, 2008 Share Posted March 13, 2008 OK, I'm still a little freaked out by this, but at 4.30am the doorbell rang and it was an HPD officer at the door asking if everything was OK. Seems they had received a silent 911 call from our address a few minutes before. We have a monitored Brinks alarm system, but have never taken the time to actually connect a real phone to the line, so only the security system uses it.Brinks Monitoring says it doesn't have a record of the security system calling 911 (apparently it can only dial Brinks), and the police say that it was a hangup call with our phone number attached to it.Any ideas, or has this happened to anyone on HAIF? I have heard of caller id spoofing, but I would come off as a bit paranoid to think something like that happened. Perhaps my old phone line triggered the call? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricco67 Posted March 13, 2008 Share Posted March 13, 2008 Other than some turd spoofing your number, I got nothing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KatieDidIt Posted March 13, 2008 Share Posted March 13, 2008 Other than some turd spoofing your number, I got nothing. But what would be the point? I know, there doesn't need to be one. Very weird. Maybe a sensor shorted and it dialed in? Ours always go out or get a short at 2-4am, and then the system calls. It would be far less frightening for it to happen during the day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricco67 Posted March 13, 2008 Share Posted March 13, 2008 But what would be the point? I know, there doesn't need to be one.Very weird. Maybe a sensor shorted and it dialed in? Ours always go out or get a short at 2-4am, and then the system calls. It would be far less frightening for it to happen during the day. I would agree with you, but the officer said 911 was dialed which brinks doesn't do. Now that I think about it, what does it do when you hit the "home invader" code? does IT dial 911 or just do a quick dial to brinks? Spoofing needs to be outlawed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedScare Posted March 13, 2008 Share Posted March 13, 2008 A year or so ago, HPD would show up at the house across the street on silent 911 calls every couple of weeks. The last time it happened, I walked over to talk to the cop about it. The homeowner was never home during these calls, so I knew it wasn't an actual call. The cop said that occasionally, a low battery can cause a 911 call. I'm not sure exactly how that occurs, but he did mention it. I am also not sure if it is a low battery in an alarm system or perhaps a cordless phone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KatieDidIt Posted March 13, 2008 Share Posted March 13, 2008 I would agree with you, but the officer said 911 was dialed which brinks doesn't do. Now that I think about it, what does it do when you hit the "home invader" code? does IT dial 911 or just do a quick dial to brinks? Spoofing needs to be outlawed.Our panic button calls the Constable directly. Then 911. Then ADT calls us. Its great fun when some neighbor kid hits the red button by the bed and then asks "Whats'it fer?"I'd have the system checked out or at least call the provider and get some troubleshooting scenerios, just so it doesn't happen again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricco67 Posted March 13, 2008 Share Posted March 13, 2008 I didn't have a "panic" button.The "home invader" code is what you hit if you get ambushed outside brinks tells you about it when they first come out. Talk about thinking ahead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KatieDidIt Posted March 13, 2008 Share Posted March 13, 2008 I didn't have a "panic" button.The "home invader" code is what you hit if you get ambushed outside brinks tells you about it when they first come out. Talk about thinking ahead.Yeah, we have a code too. But the button is by the bed for night. Sometimes you might not get a chance to make it to the panel and plug in some numbers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicman Posted March 13, 2008 Share Posted March 13, 2008 Our panic button calls the Constable directly. Then 911.no wonder the police are so busy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
travelguy_73 Posted March 13, 2008 Author Share Posted March 13, 2008 My folks have a much fancier alarm setup with panic buttons in every room. As a kid, it was incredibly tempting to push the red button. Those buttons taunted me!We have panic and fire buttons on the keypads, but they call Brinks first (news to me!), so apparently the system can only dial its home, not 911. I guess that's what you get with a 'free' system, LOL.I have read about the low battery triggering a 911 call, but since we don't have any phones attached to the line, and the system is less than 6 months old, we ruled that one out.I am going to attach a phone to the outside service jack today and listen for static. Perhaps if there was enough of it, then the phone line would think we were pulse/rotary dialing? OK, that seems a bit far-fetched. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KatieDidIt Posted March 13, 2008 Share Posted March 13, 2008 no wonder the police are so busy I'm not prone to panic, Music. I am prepared however. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gnu Posted March 13, 2008 Share Posted March 13, 2008 we used to have this very thing happen. and we didn't have an alarm.periodically police would show up and check if everything was okay or want to walk through the house.it would happen maybe two times during a week and then six months would pass and then, out of the blue, we'd have another.i think the caller id from the 911 was always listed as payphone.We used to have horrible problems with the phone line too. lots of static - particularly after rain. the phone would go out a lot. the phone company replaced cables and everything they could think of but they could not resolve the issues.finally when they upgraded the lines in the whole neighborhood, the problem seemed to go away...it certainly happened less frequently.i always figured the phantom 911 calls were a result of this problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vertigo58 Posted March 13, 2008 Share Posted March 13, 2008 That is a very alarming and scary thing to happen, cops at your door in the middle of the night (unless you have warrant). There was a time some stupid kids in the area were calling the Fire Dept to other peoples houses. One showed up at ours one evening. We were just as stunned. Now that would anger anyone, a stupid, dangerous and costly prank to pull. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
editor Posted March 13, 2008 Share Posted March 13, 2008 Other than some turd spoofing your number, I got nothing.Caller ID spoofing has nothing to do with 911. 911 doesn't get your number or location information from Caller ID. It's a different system altogether.Is your home phone wired, or cordless? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
travelguy_73 Posted March 13, 2008 Author Share Posted March 13, 2008 Caller ID spoofing has nothing to do with 911. 911 doesn't get your number or location information from Caller ID. It's a different system altogether.Is your home phone wired, or cordless?We don't have any phones, corded or cordless, attached to the system.The physical line goes from the pole to a box on the outside wall, then to a jack inside that the alarm guy installed next to the alarm box. When we bought the house, there were phone lines running all over the exterior. Since we didn't need a home phone, we pulled all but one of them down (unfortunately it happens to be for a jack in the attic, go figure). Perhaps us disconnecting the lines created the problem.ETA: I just got off the phone with SWB, err SBC, err AT&T. The service person noted that I had trouble with my line, and so they are supposed to send someone out tomorrow to have a look. Perhaps it really is just a bad line...that would put me more at ease.Ahh, just looked up spoofing a 911 system, and Editor is correct: ANI (automatic number identification) is what 911 systems use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
memebag Posted March 13, 2008 Share Posted March 13, 2008 We don't have any phones, corded or cordless, attached to the system.If you have no phones, then how did you landline phone call 911 (as the title indicates)?And have you checked the dungeon? Maybe your Mexican sex slave tapped into the line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jm1fd Posted March 13, 2008 Share Posted March 13, 2008 Other than some turd spoofing your number, I got nothing.Easy....some little hoodlum sneaks up behind the house, opens the phone company junction box, plugs in a phone, and dials 911. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark F. Barnes Posted March 13, 2008 Share Posted March 13, 2008 Yeah, we have a code too. But the button is by the bed for night. Sometimes you might not get a chance to make it to the panel and plug in some numbers.We must have the same system, we have a small keypad on my better half's side of the bed, mainly to make her feel better when I am out of town. I have a "Desert Eagle point five oh" (in my best Vinnie Jones voice) on my side, it also makes me feel better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brerrabbit Posted March 13, 2008 Share Posted March 13, 2008 We had the same thing happen and it was finally attributed to our older cordless phone. This situation really pissed me off though because my daughter was home alone when it happened and when Pearland Police showed up she told them no one had called and it was obviously a mistake. She said this through the door because she did not want to open the door. The Policeman told her to open the door and let him in. He said if she didi not he would kick the door down and come in that way. She was scared and opened the door and he proceeded to come into our house and start looking around. When we got home and she told me about it I went straight to the Police station and lodged a complaint and had a few things to tell the Lt. on duty.Making calls from your outside junction box is very easy. Thats why I have a lock on mine. It won't stop someone who is determined, but it will discourage some. All you need to make a call is a cheap throw away phone and a couple of double ended alligator clips and your dialing Australia if you want to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fringe Posted March 13, 2008 Share Posted March 13, 2008 Is your house haunted? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidegate Posted March 13, 2008 Share Posted March 13, 2008 My daughter did this once, she was about 2 at the time. Cop showed up at the door and fortunately was a good sport about it & I didn't get a ticket! lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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