LONG ISLAND, USA — A long-abandoned house has become the epicenter of one of Long Island’s most puzzling public safety mysteries. Despite being vacant for more than 20 years and having its phone lines severed, the residence continues to generate recurring emergency calls to 911 — always traced back to the same number.
Calls Without a Caller
Law enforcement officers dispatched to the scene found no one on the premises. The phone lines have been disconnected for years, yet the phantom calls persist — as though the empty house itself were dialing for help.
Phantom Calls: A Growing Concern
This bizarre phenomenon aligns with a broader trend known as “ghost” or “phantom” calls — unintentional 911 dials caused by electrical faults, deteriorated lines, or legacy systems malfunctioning. In such cases, moisture or shorts in neglected copper wiring can randomly trigger emergency lines.
Dispatchers Weigh In
Stories from phone dispatchers and emergency responders across the US reflect a similar pattern: repeated hang-ups or silent calls from empty homes or dead landlines. One Redditor recalled such occurrences being common at abandoned properties:
“We call them ghost lines… Happens a lot when a business shuts down and still has landline services… phantom 911s… a short circuit… triggers the copper line to call 911.”
