It usually begins with a dare in a WhatsApp group or a trending challenge on TikTok: dial a specific, ominous number and wait for the supernatural to answer. For generations, urban legends have swirled around "cursed" telephone lines, promising everything from conversations with the dead to granting dark wishes.

But beyond the campfire stories and internet myths, a tangible threat lurks. The real danger of engaging with these viral numbers is not a visit from the "boogie man," but the very real prospect of digital compromise. In an era where a phone number is a digital identity, curiosity can be costly.

The Myth of 666: Folklore Meets Fiction

Among the most persistent legends is the notoriety of the number 666. According to a recent report by TUKO.co.ke, folklore suggests that dialing variations of + (666) 6666-6666 can result in granted wishes followed by immediate, unexplained death. These narratives often borrow heavily from religious symbolism, where 666 is associated with the devil, or from fictional tropes found in horror cinema.

While these stories make for compelling entertainment, they often mask the technical reality of telecommunications. In the real world, +666 is not a standard country code assigned by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). Calls to such numbers often fail, or worse, are routed through spoofing services designed to mimic invalid origins.

The Expert View: Why You Should Never Call Back

The true risk of these numbers is less about ghosts and more about gateways to fraud. David Adei, a US-based systems and network security expert, emphasized the importance of digital hygiene in an interview regarding these phenomena. Adei noted that while the stories may sound cliché, the act of engaging with unknown, odd numbers violates a fundamental rule of cybersecurity.

When you dial or answer these "scary" numbers, you are potentially exposing yourself to:

• Premium Rate Fraud: Many viral numbers are set up as premium lines. A simple connection, even for a few seconds, can drain airtime or bill a postpaid account at exorbitant rates.
• Data Harvesting: confirming that your line is active makes you a target for future phishing attacks and spam.
• Wangiri Scams: This Japanese term for "one ring and cut" is prevalent in Kenya. Scammers lure victims into calling back unknown international numbers, resulting in massive charges.

The Kenyan Context: Protecting Your Digital Wallet

For the average Kenyan, the stakes are financial. In a country heavily reliant on mobile money ecosystems like M-Pesa, maintaining the security of one's phone line is paramount. Engaging with "cursed" numbers for entertainment opens a backdoor for bad actors to verify your active status, potentially leading to social engineering attacks designed to compromise mobile banking credentials.

While the allure of the unknown is powerful, the consensus among security professionals is clear: the only thing haunting your phone line is likely a bot or a scammer. As digital threats evolve, skepticism remains the best antivirus.