Looked this up after watching Better Call Saul and noticing a phone number in one of the episodes!
TIL fake "555" phone numbers you see in movies and TV shows were once legitimate numbers that anyone could register, but Verizon would charge you $2,500 to use them
https://lookify.io/blog/555-phone-number
5 Comments
akaCat@lemmy.world · 10 pts · 3y
fire@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 3y
I think that they reserve 55 numbers now for this very reason
sik0fewl@kbin.social · 1 pts · 3y
Directory assistance is available at 1--555-1212.
delial@lemmy.sdf.org · 5 pts · 3y
I've always hated 555 numbers, because they immediately dispel the illusion. They should just use invalid numbers that have an area code that starts with 1 or, better yet, an exchange code that starts with 1.
bfg9k@kbin.social · 3 pts · 3y
Not sure why they would open these numbers up for access anyway, a lot of PABXes are programmed to recognize the 555 prefix as bogus and just drop the call without even attempting to dial it over national lines
PhoenixRising@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 3y
That's cool. I didn't know they were legitimate before.