When calling a government agency, you’d expect to be met with a serious-sounding customer service representative or perhaps the usual directory options. However, that wasn’t the case at all for this DOJ number. A Florida TikToker, TizzyEnt, recently discovered that the TTY/TDD number for the DOJ forces users to “hear” scam ads and never actually connects them. If you don’t know what TTY and TDD are, they are basically text-based telephone systems that allow deaf or hard-of-hearing people to communicate by typing instead of speaking. The DOJ has that number, so those with disabilities can still contact the agency.
Someone who knew TizzyEnt recently told him that when they contacted the number, they were connected to a phone sex line. Alarmed, the Florida TikToker decided to call the DOJ TTY phone number himself to check whether it was true. While he didn’t get connected to a phone sex line, he did encounter strange advertisements. One advertisement offered a “free medical device,” which then led to a questionable AI website. The Florida TikToker tried again, and on the third attempt, he received a message saying that the number he was calling was not available from his area.
At one point during these attempts, the TikToker was connected to what appeared to be an Indian call center. When he spoke with the man who answered, the caller suggested that perhaps the connection happened because the number being dialed was one of their free toll numbers, though the Florida TikToker doubted that explanation. The man also claimed to be located in Florida, even though the TikToker was convinced he was actually in India.
Online, many internet users were outraged after seeing what the Florida TikToker had uncovered. Several expressed that the situation was completely unacceptable. “This needs a Jon Oliver deep dive, so appalling,” one Redditor said. Another wrote, “We. are. in. hell.”
Some users said they also attempted to contact the DOJ TTY phone number after seeing the video but found that the number no longer accepted calls. “I just called and both of the numbers are fully disconnected now,” one commenter said. Another wrote, “I tried and the phone number on the website said my call could not be completed.”
One user said that they had indeed tried to contact the DOJ in the past and experienced something similar. “This happened to me months ago when I called the VA. I thought I was crazy,” one user said.
Another revealed that this was not just an issue with the DOJ, claiming that the same thing also occurred with the IRS and other organizations. “It’s the same when you call the IRS,” the commenter said. Another added, “That has happened to me so many times. It happened when I called SSDI. It’s infuriating!”
