A Florida woman says she has spent nearly 15 years dealing with an unexpected problem tied to her phone number: strangers who continue looking for a man named Deshawn, who apparently had the number before her. Her story, shared on TikTok, has drawn more than half a million views as viewers laughed at the bizarre calls, FaceTime attempts and court reminders she says were meant for him.
The story was shared by TikTok user TasiaAlexis and quickly gained traction, with many viewers relating to the frustration of receiving calls intended for a previous owner of a phone number. According to the woman, strangers regularly call her asking for Deshawn. Some have even asked whether she could “front” them, prompting her to joke about how anyone could expect her to lend them something in the current economy.
The situation became more concerning when she began receiving FaceTime calls and court-date reminders apparently intended for Deshawn. At first, the court-related messages made her worry that something had happened to her personally. She said she wondered whether she had somehow received new charges or whether someone was trying to mess with her.
She eventually realized the messages were apparently connected to the former owner of the number. The Florida woman even addressed Deshawn directly, warning him that he supposedly had a court date the following Friday at 1 p.m. She urged him to attend because she did not want him to end up in jail.
However, the calls did not stop. She described one FaceTime conversation in which someone asked where Deshawn was. After explaining that she was not Deshawn and had owned the number for nearly 15 years, she said the caller accused her of playing games and insisted that she tell them where he was.
The woman said this was not the first time someone had refused to believe her. After repeatedly explaining that she was not hiding Deshawn and could not help the people calling her, she eventually directed her message toward the former owner of the number. “Deshawn, tell your people to stop,” she said.
Florida Woman’s Deshawn Problem Has Viewers Laughing
Viewers found the story funny, especially those who have experienced similar problems with phone numbers being linked to previous owners. One commenter joked, “Is Deshawn still with us?” Another said they had spent years dealing with a family who repeatedly called and texted because they believed the person they were trying to reach was cheating.
Others shared their own experiences, including one person who said people still call looking for Ernesto despite having their number since 2008. Additional commenters mentioned receiving calls intended for people named Kendrick, Selena, Michelle and William.
Some experiences were more serious. One person said they received a message about someone’s mother undergoing heart surgery and being moved to the ICU. Another said strangers believed their number belonged to a nearby bank and eventually changed it after becoming tired of the calls.
After nearly 15 years, the Florida woman may have accepted that changing numbers is easier than convincing everyone that she is not Deshawn. As one commenter put it, he may have become a legend by now.
