General Discussion

fleur-de-lisa

(14,628 posts) Wed Feb 28, 2018, 10:22 AM Feb 2018

My phone was caught up in a wiretap in California

I received a form letter yesterday from the District Attorney in Ventura County. It says electronic communications were intercepted during an investigation and I either had a conversation with or received a call from someone who was the target of a wiretap (I didn’t even know they still used the term “wiretap” – sounds like something Trump would say – oh, yeah, because he did when he accused Obama of illegally wiretapping him).

I don’t know if it was my home phone or my cell. The letter says the investigation “resulted in the arrest of persons for unlawful transfer of firearms and narcotics-related offenses”. It also lists the dates of the wiretap (10-25-17 to 11-25-17). I checked the call history on both the house and cell phones during that period and there are no calls from or to anyone in California. The letter doesn’t state who was arrested either. I don’t know anyone who currently lives in Ventura County. I live In New Orleans.

Has anyone ever had this experience? I find it amusing. I'm not the least bit worried, but I would like to know who was arrested. I would call the DA to ask, but the letter doesn't even list a case number. Weird!

9 replies

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Highlight:

My phone was caught up in a wiretap in California (Original Post) fleur-de-lisa Feb 2018 OP

Never happened to me marylandblue Feb 2018 #1

That was the first thing I thought of. fleur-de-lisa Feb 2018 #4

Or someone spoofing the calling number used fleur-de-lisa's number FarCenter Feb 2018 #9

Well, the first thing I think I would do is confirm the validity of the letter... hlthe2b Feb 2018 #2

I looked up the person who signed the letter. fleur-de-lisa Feb 2018 #5

You still might want to confirm her office actually SENT the letter.. hlthe2b Feb 2018 #6

There is not much they can tell you dalton99a Feb 2018 #3

Appears legit HopeAgain Feb 2018 #7

Well that is nice to get in the post with the bills and adverts. No never got that myself lunasun Feb 2018 #8

marylandblue

(12,344 posts)

1. Never happened to me

Reply to fleur-de-lisa (Original post)

Wed Feb 28, 2018, 10:24 AM

Feb 2018

But a lot of spam calls use spoofed numbers, so you wouldn't necessarily know if California called you.

fleur-de-lisa

(14,628 posts)

4. That was the first thing I thought of.

Reply to marylandblue (Reply #1)

Wed Feb 28, 2018, 10:37 AM

Feb 2018

But I assume that if a spammer was arrested it would be for fraud or a related charge. The letter says "firearms and narcotics".

I guess if you are a spammer it's not outside the realm of possiblity that you would be involved in other illegal activity.

FarCenter

(19,429 posts)

9. Or someone spoofing the calling number used fleur-de-lisa's number

Reply to marylandblue (Reply #1)

Wed Feb 28, 2018, 11:20 AM

Feb 2018

hlthe2b

(102,381 posts)

2. Well, the first thing I think I would do is confirm the validity of the letter...

Reply to fleur-de-lisa (Original post)

Wed Feb 28, 2018, 10:24 AM

Feb 2018

Maybe call the DA's office to see if the person who signed the letter actually works there. If so, maybe you could ask to speak with them or someone in that office.

fleur-de-lisa

(14,628 posts)

5. I looked up the person who signed the letter.

Reply to hlthe2b (Reply #2)

Wed Feb 28, 2018, 10:38 AM

Feb 2018

Erin Meister, Senior Deputy District Attorny. So she is legit.

If there was a case number or if the defendent was named, I would call.

hlthe2b

(102,381 posts)

6. You still might want to confirm her office actually SENT the letter..

Reply to fleur-de-lisa (Reply #5)

Wed Feb 28, 2018, 10:40 AM

Feb 2018

Pfishing and spoof correspondence has gotten really creative and disturbingly sophisticated.

dalton99a

(81,599 posts)

3. There is not much they can tell you

Reply to fleur-de-lisa (Original post)

Wed Feb 28, 2018, 10:33 AM

Feb 2018

From a different Calif. county:

http://www.bakersfield.com/news/d-a-defends-policy/article_01a02482-4577-5ca0-9e11-dca1c7978dcb.html

The Kern County District Attorney's office insists it is not arbitrarily bugging people's telephones.

And though Bakersfield recipients of recent wiretap notices complain that the letters are vague about who is being criminally investigated, the District Attorney's office says that's not going to change.

The notifications, which go out to dozens or sometimes hundreds of people each year in Kern County, have caused anxiety among recipients and raised ethical concerns over what the notices don't say. ....

Penal Code 629.68 allows recipients of Notification of Interception letters to file a motion with a judge to view a transcript of their intercepted communication.

HopeAgain

(4,407 posts)

7. Appears legit

Reply to fleur-de-lisa (Original post)

Wed Feb 28, 2018, 10:50 AM

Feb 2018

See: https://www.shouselaw.com/wiretapping.html#2.2

lunasun

(21,646 posts)

8. Well that is nice to get in the post with the bills and adverts. No never got that myself

Reply to fleur-de-lisa (Original post)

Wed Feb 28, 2018, 10:52 AM

Feb 2018

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