Error Invalid 1 (1) (216) 116-11

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Level 2

189 points

Error Invalid 1 (1) (216) 116-11

Last week, I got a phishing phone call, but I was on the phone and didn't want to answer it; so I sent back an auto text telling whomever was calling me to text me or leave a voicemail. I got this Error message back instead.

When I got home, I looked up the phone number, but found it's an unassigned phone number. Went to 800notes.com and found out it was a phishing scam, from some overseas call center that was either using a VoIP phone, computer, or spoofing the unassigned number. I then called my mobile carrier to have them help me with the issue. I use Cricket (one of AT&T's budget mobile services), but they were of no help. So, I blocked the phone number, and deleted it and the error text message.

Then today, I was trying to text a contractor, a man I've been using for some years on my home remodels who lives about 2 hours from me, and got the same error text message back again. I was using Messages on my Mac Mini, which sends all texts through my iPhone. I know he's on Verizon, but I haven't had the problem with him in the past, or any other people who are on other carriers. I have texted the man from my Mini before too, w/o issues. So, this was just weird to me. Then I took a look at how his name is in my Contact lists. I just retested him using his phone number instead of just his name and it went through fine.

Mac mini, macOS High Sierra (10.13.3)

Posted on Mar 5, 2018 4:40 PM

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Answer 1

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schoodle Author

Level 2

189 points

Mar 25, 2018 11:27 AM in response to liv0123

I finally got around to reading that forum thread @liv0123. Not helpful though. Didn't fix anything, and I can't erase all my texts anyway, as many of them I need to keep for referring back to them when in conversations with the people. However, I think I know why some of them return with that error code.

Many of these calls are coming from overseas. Scammers outside of the USA often use an unassigned or spoofed, sometimes local looking, phone number in the USA to try to trick the receiving party into picking up the call. The scammers often use VoIP phones, and/or computer bots, so the calls travel over the internet, instead of on cell phone towers or landlines. In general, the caller cannot receive text messages back, if they aren't using a cell phone, or they are not allowed to receive texts from overseas.

These calls are usually coming from countries known for running phishing scams. The scammers often use computer bots to make the calls, and if a person answers on the other side, then it's passed off to either a live human, or another computer bot, to scam the person called. If the person who's been called tries to send back a text as the call is coming in, to notify the caller we can't pick up the call now (or whatever), then the error code is returned, because the phone number isn't valid, or it's missing a digit because it's not the REAL number making the call, or the computer making the call is not set up to receive text messages.

Scammer generally never leave voice messages.

It just happened to me yesterday again. The call was coming from an unknown number, so I sent back an auto text to leave a voicemail. I got a text with the same error code. When I got home and looked up the number online, I found it was an unassigned mobile number.

From now on, I'll ignore the error code, as I now know why it comes back.

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Answer 2

liv0123

Level 4

2,877 points

Mar 25, 2018 2:18 PM in response to schoodle

Correct schoodle. Automated calls & texts, thus you get the code. #'s you have listed with the +1 or other country codes will have the same effect at times. And, without deleting your threads, it'll continue.

Personally, I've not had to deal with it in ages, since I installed a spam block caller app from the App store. I back all my texts up to a separate app I've used for ages that syncs easily with my Gmail, so I'm good on the deleting side of things as well.

Glad you decided what you want to do for now.

Take care ~

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