Unraveling the Mystery of Workplace Sabotage: A Call for Help

In recent months, I’ve found myself in a perplexing and increasingly distressing situation at my workplace—a law firm, no less—involving persistent disruptions to our office phone lines. The source of this chaos? A mysterious connection to a dating service that seems to have a keen interest in our daily operations. While it’s easy to end up pointing fingers, the situation has grown so unbearable that I’m seeking insight or advice from the wider community, as my attempts thus far have fallen on deaf ears.

The Unfolding Drama

For over a year, we’ve experienced frequent forwarding of our phone lines to a dubious-sounding dating service that leaves us fumbling and frustrated as we encounter these calls multiple times a day. Our main office phone system, which includes six lines, is plagued by unexpected disruptions where incoming calls automatically reroute to this service. Just today, we dealt with four such incidents, each requiring a manual unforwarding process. The recorded message from the service is unprofessional, raising further concerns over its legitimacy.

What’s particularly disheartening is that specialists from both AT&T and the manufacturer of our phone system have assured us that this cannot be executed remotely from outside the office. This revelation highlights the distressing possibility that someone within our team is orchestrating this mess. Yet, our management team seems reluctant to acknowledge the issue, suggesting instead that we switch service providers. However, given our contract—and more critically, the potential threat posed by an employee—we believe there’s a more pressing matter to address.

The Suspected Saboteur

Among our ranks resides an individual who had previously held my position for many years. Her extensive knowledge of our systems and procedures, coupled with her undeniable hostility towards coworkers, raises significant red flags. Adding to the tension, she’s openly discussed similar pranks she played on her ex-husband, further fueling suspicion.

As employees, we lack vital tools like caller ID, and our efforts to utilize *69 for identifying troublesome calls frequently fall short. Recent attempts to disable call forwarding through AT&T also failed, leaving us perplexed and frustrated. With the clock ticking, we’re less concerned about the interruptions and more focused on identifying the instigator behind them.

Seeking Your Wisdom

At this juncture, I feel compelled to reach out to the Reddit community in hopes of gleaning some advice or strategies. We’ve considered practical solutions, including the installation of hidden cameras,