• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
LeadershipFEMA

FEMA Accidentally Sends Hurricane Victims to Phone Sex Line

By
Chris Morris
Chris Morris
Former Contributing Writer
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Chris Morris
Chris Morris
Former Contributing Writer
Down Arrow Button Icon
September 25, 2017, 11:13 AM ET
Young woman on cell phone, surprised expression
Dimitri Otis—Getty Images

Floridians hoping to get assistance with their damaged roofs were greeted with an entirely different solicitation after a typo in a FEMA tweet pointed them to a phone sex line.

In a now-deleted tweet, officials at the Federal Emergency Management Agency posted what they thought was the number of its Operation Blue Roof program, which helps put tarps on damaged roofs. But it switched the 888 area code for 800, which is the number of a service calling itself “America’s hottest talk line.”

“Guys, hot ladies are waitng to talk to you. Press 1 to connect,” the line urges callers.

FEMA quickly deleted the message and posted the correct number, but not before the error was pointed out by followers.

1800ROOFBLU is a phone sex line. The correct number is 1888ROOFBLU.

— David K (@dkupy) September 20, 2017

Phone sex lines might seem antiquated, but operators say they’re still a very profitable business, even in the Internet era, when free pornography is at anyone’s fingertips. The operators of Jet Doll, which advertises late at night on Comedy Central and Spike TV, say the company has an in-house staff of 20, roughly 1,200 contract employees, and claims to have a client base of over 500,000 people.

About the Author
By Chris MorrisFormer Contributing Writer

Chris Morris is a former contributing writer at Fortune, covering everything from general business news to the video game and theme park industries.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Leadership

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Leadership

elon musk
Future of WorkElon Musk
Elon Musk bans résumés and cover letters in hiring for his chip team. These are the 3 bullet points he’s looking for instead
By Jake AngeloApril 19, 2026
11 hours ago
Photo of Robert Solow
AIProductivity
Thousands of CEOs admit AI had no impact on employment or productivity—and it has economists resurrecting a paradox from 40 years ago
By Sasha RogelbergApril 19, 2026
11 hours ago
stressed student and parent
SuccessCareers
Parents are so panicked about the job market they’re paying career coaches $15,000 years before their kids graduate from college
By Jake AngeloApril 19, 2026
15 hours ago
imas
AIdisruption
The economist who was terrified of AI just found a rare reason for hope
By Nick LichtenbergApril 19, 2026
16 hours ago
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang (Left) and Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky (Right)
Successwork-life
Jensen Huang bans one-on-one meetings, and Airbnb’s Brian Chesky doesn’t use email—meet the CEOs with unconventional work-life rules
By Emma BurleighApril 19, 2026
17 hours ago
MacKenzie Scott
SuccessMacKenzie Scott
MacKenzie Scott has donated more than $26 billion—but it’s barely made a dent in her net worth because of the power of Amazon shares
By Sydney LakeApril 18, 2026
1 day ago

Most Popular

'We should absolutely be concerned about non-college-educated men today': higher rents, living at home, falling out of the labor market
Economy
'We should absolutely be concerned about non-college-educated men today': higher rents, living at home, falling out of the labor market
By Catherina GioinoApril 18, 2026
2 days ago
Thousands of CEOs admit AI had no impact on employment or productivity—and it has economists resurrecting a paradox from 40 years ago
AI
Thousands of CEOs admit AI had no impact on employment or productivity—and it has economists resurrecting a paradox from 40 years ago
By Sasha RogelbergApril 19, 2026
11 hours ago
The record-setting U.S. drought is so bad that 97% of the Southeast and two-thirds of the West are parched
North America
The record-setting U.S. drought is so bad that 97% of the Southeast and two-thirds of the West are parched
By Seth Borenstein and The Associated PressApril 18, 2026
1 day ago
The $6 billion Vatican Bank was beset by scandals, disastrous investments—and ties to the Mafia. How Pope Francis tried to fix it
Banking
The $6 billion Vatican Bank was beset by scandals, disastrous investments—and ties to the Mafia. How Pope Francis tried to fix it
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezApril 18, 2026
1 day ago
Elon Musk bans résumés and cover letters in hiring for his chip team. These are the 3 bullet points he’s looking for instead
Future of Work
Elon Musk bans résumés and cover letters in hiring for his chip team. These are the 3 bullet points he’s looking for instead
By Jake AngeloApril 19, 2026
11 hours ago
Putin finally admits Russia's economy is in trouble and grasps for answers, after warnings about a financial crisis have been piling up
Economy
Putin finally admits Russia's economy is in trouble and grasps for answers, after warnings about a financial crisis have been piling up
By Jason MaApril 18, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.