Telemarketers Tap Tommy Tutone: 867-5309 Comes Up In Caller ID: News Journal

Remember the ‘80s? Consumers in Delaware are getting a rude reminder as telemarketing solicitations appear in caller ID displays with the number 867-5309, according to the Wilmington News Journal.

For those who slept through the ‘80s, “867-5309/Jenny” was a #1 hit for California pop band Tommy Tutone. The song’s popularity resulted in the telephone number being retired in a number of area codes – as well as co-opted by marketers who routed it into recorded sales pitches.

The practice of disguising a caller’s identity behind an innocuous telephone number is known as spoofing. It is legitimately used by those involved in criminal investigations. But it has been co-opted by bail bondsmen and unscrupulous telemarketers, the News Journal reported.

Nostalgia was the last thing on consumers’ minds when their phones rang during the wee hours of the morning, and they were subjected to recorded mortgage-refinancing pitches, according to the News Journal. Delaware does not have an “867” exchange.

Given that, how can a marketer act on this sales effort? At the end of the pitch, consumers are invited to press 1 and leave their contact information for a follow-up pitch. The Wilmington News Journal did not identify which marketer, if any, followed up.

According to the paper, few who received the calls requested more information, although several left messages of an physiological, as opposed to commercial, nature.