28 Oct

Call from a bill collector, for some old school loan? Wrong Tom Jenningss
I said. H said, are the last 4 digits of SS 3940. Nope. Bye.


Thomas D. Jennings 6 May 93

There is an other Tom Jennings. This is weird enough that at this point
I want to write it down.

When I was living on Shipley, 1988? 89? When Fido Software was still
operating, I started getting occasional, odd calls from irate customers.
"The machine you sold me doesn't work, and you don't return your phone
calls." When I called them back, I had a hard time convincing them that
yes, I am Tom Jennings, but no, I did not sell you any computer. Yes I
sell computer software. This happened I think 4 - 5 times over a period
of months. I did not record any information at the time. They were phone
calls only anyways.

One day a knock at the door and appears a man in a suit, "Are you Thomas
Jennings" and produces an IRS ID badge. I did not write any of the
information down. I told him the above story, and showed him my Calif.
drivers license. He went from cold to apologetic, and explained that
the Tom Jennings he was looking for sold computer hardware and software,
and that he was in my same ZIP code (94107). APprently he owed them a
lot of money (what do you have to do to get the IRS to visit you
unanounced).  I got to peek at his filefolder as he opened it, I
believe it was a Stillman St. address, or it might have been one
of those alleys in that area. I doubt I cold recall at this point.

I assume this means I was audited at that time.

My personal phone was unlisted. I don't recall what it was. In
1990? we moved to 666 Illinois. My phone number changed to 555-8156. It
remained unlisted.

Late in 1992 I got a couple more "Tom Jennings" calls. They obtained my
phone number through some computer references. Turns out, the other Tom
J had throat cancer, and they wanted to wish him well. I explained, etc.


In March 1993 I moved to 55 Rondel Pl, same phone number, but left it
public, ie. not unlisted. I started getting a flood of "Tom Jennings"
calls. 

About a month ago, I started to get my "I hope you're feeling better"
calls. A few weeks ago, I started getting "bereavement" calls.
Apparently he'd died of throat cancer. I had to explain who I was, etc.
I didn't ask for names or addresses or write anything down, because I
figured this would be the end of it.

Today (6 May 93) I received a call. "Your tickets are ready, did you
want to leave tommorrow (or whatever he said)". I said "Wait a minute...
who are you looking for?" "Tom Jennings. I just called you this
morning." I said, "I didn't talk to anyone about tickets, I have no
travel plans. Where am I going?" I asked jokingly. The travel agent was
upset. I explained to him the story, that "Tom Jennings" had allegedly
died. 

This time I asked. No, he didn't have any address or middle name for
him. Just this phone number. I had never talked to this person before. I
forgot to get his name or his employers.

Is he not dead? Or is it just someone scamming on his credit card (more
likely)? I assume the travel agent or someone in his office lost "Tom
Jennings"'s phone number, looked up mine.

phone

7 Oct 93

Last few days getting calls from "Golson" -- "Jennings! Call me! I have
this idea and we can make a lot of money! I need someone in th ecountry
to handle that end!", about four or five.

Today he catches me in. He says "You're hard to get a hold of!" and I
just "I'm rather busy..." then I tell him, I'm not the person he thinks,
and tell him most of the story, that he's "dead", etc.

We chat. He's friendly. He says my voice on the ans. machine is
dead-ringer "Jennings". He says he's: 5'8"--10", mid-50's, rgey hair,
right handed, very smart. Doesn't remember his middle name. Ran
JVC at one point? Lived at 885 Waller 94117. When he went by
recently, a small French "RUE" de something sign was gone, and he
couldn't see his computer in the window like he used to.

Golson lives in Marin somewhere. 415-457-1481. Some electronic device,
some marketing scheme. I told him what I do (FidoNet, internet coop,
etc). We chat about modems; he can't get his 14,400 modem to work from
Egypt. I tell him about Zyxel, etc.

I told him his relatives from Sacramento called, and he interrupted and
said "Sacramento Street". ie. the real "Jennings" would have known that.

When I told him about irate customers from Shipley days complaining
about "that computer you sold me doesnt work!" he said Jennings
assembled computers from import parts over on Stillman.

He said to call him if I got any word. I said the same. He said next
he'd contact Pac Bell to see when the line was discnnected.

He said he got back in the country in Feb, and when he called the line
was disconnected with no forward. (In Mar I moved here and removed the
unlisted status!)



From tomj@fnord.tlg.org Wed Apr 20 07:08:02 1994
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Subject: Re: "Tom Jennings"
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> THere was however another Tom Jennings, and he lived in my zip code in
> SF, even. He was in his 50's, ran up bad debts, and got in trouble with
> the IRS. I know, they visited me and I had to untangle it.
> 
> It appears that he died of throat cancer last year.

That's him alright.. I brought this up with a family member and they 
told me about his death.  He got my grandmother 
in a little trouble also!  He was a pretty decent renter, but all his 
checks were late.