If you send a fax to a wrong number, can anyone see it?
I was given a wrong fax number and I sent the fax and received the confirmation. However, when I realized it was the wrong fax number, I called the same number and it goes to a company phone and not to a fax machine.
Now I want to know if that number is not a fax number how come I received the confirmation, and if anyone will be able to view my fax?
I’ve got some good news and some bad news for you, but first let’s address why you got a phone instead of a fax machine when you called.
My guess is that the number you called was a line that is a dual voicemail/fax machine line. When you call it yourself to test it, it doesn’t beep like a fax machine because you are not beeping like a fax machine.
Basically, the fax machine picks up the phone, listens for the information that signifies that this is a fax, and if you are not sending a fax, it sends the call on to voicemail. Some companies use a single line in this way to make things easier for their customers.
The bad news, then, is that your fax really was sent to the wrong machine and someone really did receive that information. Faxes make physical documents, and once you’ve sent one, you can’t really recall it. Anyone can view your fax if you send it to the wrong fax machine.
In your case, however, there is some good news. Since the number you dialed is a company number, you actually know who has your information. You can talk to the people at the company to ensure that the information is destroyed, or simply make note of the company name in case that information becomes compromised in some way.
If you were faxing sensitive information such as Social Security numbers, you should still make an effort to keep an eye on it just in case. And, if something does go wrong, at least you have a pretty good idea where to start looking for the culprit.
And, in the future, double check your fax numbers!
Do you have a question about faxing? Send me your fax question.