14 DAY TRIAL // Some users report receiving calls from unknown numbers on Viber, the popular app utilized by millions of iPhone and Android smartphone owners to make calls and send out text messages for free.
“Yesterday I've received a call from an Unknown (not in the address book) number. The problem is that (from what I know) I should not be called from other numbers than the ones in my Address Book,” one user told us referencing the screen shown on the left.
“I've just installed Viber on my Mac and 3 min later, I got a call from a Romanian citizen (like me), not existing in Address Book. He told me that I've just called him!” he added, pointing to the screen shown on the right.
Another user says that while trying to contact one individual from his address book, he ended up calling another individual with the same first name.
I’ve also found some references to similar problems. However, in those cases, the users had recently changed their phones – this is not the case on this occasion.
It’s uncertain if the issue impacts Android devices as well. A report has been sent to Viber. This post will be updated if they provide any clarifications.
Update. Viber has provided the following response to a ticket opened by one of the users who experienced this problem.
“We apologize for the inconvenience. However, these incidents are not directly connected to Viber. Your telephone number does indeed serve as your Viber ID, yet people can dial wrong number all the time.
It can happen both with GSM calls and with Viber calls, as you have experienced. It seems to be a mere coincidence that these people dialed your number by mistake.”
The company says it will further investigate if the issue persists. Be sure to let us know if you’re experiencing such problems with Viber to help us determine if the issue is widespread.