NSW Missed call from a law firm

[Roboto]

Hello,

I'm sorry for the stupid question, but I don't know where else to put it.

My phone has been inundated with junk calls lately. My usual process is that I let unknown numbers ring out, then I look up the number on Google. Usually, several people have identified the caller as fraud. I block it and move on.

In the last three days, I've had about eight different calls I've blocked. This afternoon, I received a call from a landline. The phone only rang a couple of times before hanging up without leaving a message. I googled it and there was no record of the number anywhere.

I called it back, and got a voicemail message from what appears to be a very established law firm in Sydney. I checked their website, and the number I was called on was not provided as a contact number on the site. I called their main number on the website and told them I had a missed call from them.

Whoever answered the phone said they'd ask around for who called me and get back to me, but no-one returned my call.

Part of me thinks it might be a spoofed number for a scam, but the other part is freaking out that the number points to the voicemail of a law firm. They seem to do a variety of business law, compensation claims and family law.

I have never been in trouble with the law, I don't have a business, any kids or a spouse, and my last car accident was 9 years ago and I wasn't at fault. I have no idea why they're calling; I am currently being treated in hospital for chronic anxiety and a neurological disorder, so this is just sending me off the deep end.

Does anyone have any thoughts on whether this is some scam or what I should prepare for? I thought if there was some lawsuit against me I would receive a letter rather than a phone call out of the blue.

Thank you for any help. I'm sorry to be awkward but I am not currently in control of my health issues and hate feeling so in the dark.

 

[Rob Legat - SBPL]

You’re correct. If you’re being sued, you won’t get a phone call from a law firm first - you’ll get served. Otherwise it’s a tip off for you to hide from the process server.

What you’ve done is reasonable. It’s hard to saw whether the phone call came from them or not. Some older phone systems use multiple outgoing lines and only one incoming line (being the firm’s phone number). The other lines are still valid, just not published anywhere.

 

[Scruff]

Strange. Sounds more like debt collector tactics than a law firm. Did you get the number from caller ID or from a message that was left?

 

[Roboto]

Thank you for your help, Rob and Scruff.

I got through to the law firm. They have no business at all with me, and the number I was reaching them on isn't even in their directory. They've had a few calls from other worried and confused people - seems scammers are pretending to be the ATO and calling people to say they have debts (for the record, I have one credit card and no other debt. I'm up to date with payments).

The scammers didn't leave me a message, but they apparently did for others. The firm is going through their Telco to have the number blocked as it's bizarre the call is going to them if returned.

False alarm I guess, but thanks again for your assistance.