Unraveling the Mystery: A Call for Help in a Toxic Workplace

For the past year, I have found myself navigating a perplexing and frustrating situation in my workplace, where our office phones have become the target of repeated hijacking by a mysterious dating service. The unsettling suspicion is that a colleague—a rather troublesome character—might be at the center of this disruption. With our service provider, AT&T, unable to provide a solution, I’m reaching out to you for advice and support.

As the situation stands, I am on the verge of resigning due to the toxic environment created by this harassment. My supervisors, unfortunately, seem unwilling to acknowledge the severity of the issue, believing it could never stem from within their own ranks. It’s disheartening to think that someone’s career could flourish while they wreak havoc on our workplace, yet justice, in my mind, must be served before I contemplate my departure.

This perplexing scenario unfolds in a law firm—a place where integrity is paramount. Ironically, if our primary suspect were caught in the act, they could face legal repercussions, adding an ironic twist to this unfortunate predicament. There are times when you encounter individuals whose malevolence astounds you, and I can say with certainty, this coworker fits that description. The fact that they have managed to retain their position is bewildering.

The Details We Need to Address

Our office is equipped with outdated Comdial phones—now known as Zeracom. We utilize six separate lines, with one being the principal number for client calls. Calls that come in when this line is busy roll over to the next. Shockingly, we have experienced frequent, nearly daily, incidents where these lines are redirected to a dubious-sounding dating service—often multiple times within a single day. Just today, I was forced to undo four separate call forwards by dialing *73 or 73#. The unwelcome service offers only a recording accompanied by music, leaving us to wonder if it’s even a legitimate operation.

Adding to our frustration, we have consulted approximately ten professionals from both AT&T and the phone system manufacturer, all of whom unanimously assert that this breach cannot be executed from outside the office. This points to an internal offender—someone using our phones for malicious intent. Yet, despite the clear evidence presented, my higher-ups remain skeptical and have even suggested switching providers instead of addressing the real issue: the saboteur among us. The individual we suspect is also responsible for handling