Top 10 Creepiest Numbers You Should Never Call

We’ve all been fascinated by alien life at some point in our lives. Are we alone in the universe? Have we been visited before? Well, it turns out that in the 1980s, you could just give our interstellar neighbors a call and ask ‘em those questions yourself! Dialing the number would put you in touch with someone who would explain a government cover-up, and occasionally you could even reach an alien being itself. But since this was a line from the late ‘80s that you’ve likely only just heard of... chances are nothing too groundbreaking ever came of it. Unless, of course, the Feds shut it down...we may never know.

This one’s might not be inherently spooky, but it’s definitely weird. Designed as a story tie-in to the episodic indie video game “Kentucky Route Zero,” this phone number first appeared on eBay, of all places, when a mysterious listing for a phone that only dials one number appeared on the online auction site. The number connects to a very in-depth message presented by “The Bureau of Secret Tourism,” as a strangely soothing voice offers to describe the many mysteries of the Echo River. As eerie as it is darkly humorous, the automated message wouldn’t sound out of place in an episode of “Twin Peaks.”

Here we have a number – or numbers – that you shouldn’t even answer, let alone call. You’d know something was up if you had an incoming call, and the numbers flashed on your screen in bright red. Is that even possible? Did the number change your phone’s font profile? Spoooooky. Worse still, if you were curious and unlucky enough to answer the call, you’d apparently hear a high-pitched sound that would scramble your brain, causing hemorrhaging, and in some cases even death. Yikes. That probably isn’t the best way to die - if there is a good way to die.

Crying babies and the bloodcurdling screams of a woman in peril are horror movie mainstays. Both things combined? No thank you. This number circulated after being posted by an internet forum user, who claimed that they’d called it and heard the disturbing cries of a baby and the terrified shrieks of a woman. What happened? Who answered the call? Was the woman defending the baby, or attacking it? The possibilities are just as frightening as the call itself.

Usually any contact with this infamous serial killer/burn victim is not only unwelcome, but also non-consensual. Why you’d want to call him and pay him to talk to you is anyone’s guess. But if you were looking to immerse yourself deeper into the lore of Elm Street’s favorite murderer, this particular line had you covered. Advertised by Krueger himself, he’d tell creepy and disturbing stories that most likely kept a lot of kids, and probably some adults, from sleeping. Probably wasn’t a good idea to call on a school night.

These phone calls are actually scarier than the film they’re meant to promote. As a tie in to the remake of the film adaptation of Stephen King’s “Carrie,” this phone number was put up on the movie’s website. If the number was dialed, a nervous Carrie would answer, before being locked away by her fanatically religious mother, who’d promptly threaten you before hanging up. That’s nerve rattling enough, but a few minutes later you’d receive two more calls, featuring the creepy chants and prayers of Carrie’s mom, with Carrie’s muffled screams as accompaniment. What’s next? A tie in with “It” called “Page Pennywise”?

While the voices heard on this recording are extremely convincing, it was allegedly part of an alternate reality game created by Nine Inch Nails to promote their album Year Zero. Supposedly, a thumb drive was found at a Nine Inch Nails concert, and on it was a phone number. When dialed, you’d hear a call between a girl named Mia and her mother. Mia screams and cries for help as she locks herself away, supposedly to hide from a crazed armed attacker, or something more sinister. The terror is palpable as Mia pleads for help, while her mother can do nothing but listen. Real or not, it’s definitely frightening.

This is one of the most involved numbers on the list. A call here would connect you to a company called Boothworld Industries, where you’ll get a machine asking you to leave message. On their return call, they’ll ask you for a name and for you to schedule a “remodeling.” Even if you give them a fake name, Boothworld will call you back at the agreed time, and give you an update... in the form of the gruesome murder of the person you directed them to. It may all just be a creepy little story, but then why does this number exist? Wouldn’t a real, non-murderous company be tired of all the snuff requests by now?

Well, at least this number is an easy one to remember. This may just be the oldest of its kind, going back to at least the 1970s. When you called, a disturbingly monotone voice would answer, ask for help, and then say someone named Susie is either dying or drowning – it changed with every call. There’s still no origin story for this number, no answers as to who Susie is, and no explanation about why she was dying – and considering how old this one is, it’s quite creepy that there are still so many unanswered questions. But that mystery only makes the story all the more creepy.

The premise behind this number gives us goosebumps, as it’s directly related to some very terrifying source material. In the Japanese film “Ring,” Sadako is the terrifying ghost girl that crawls out of a TV to kill anybody that watches a cursed videotape. After watching the tape, the victims only have seven days to write up a will, call their mom, and burn through their bucket list. Similarly, if you dial Sadako’s number - made up of lots of fours; a number that in Japan is said to be cursed - you’ll hear a freaky voice, then go about living your life...on borrowed time. Seven days later, it’s Deadsville – population: you.