Is this VALID? Or should we hang up?
The current one, on our home Land-line, is a recorded message for a specific person, with our Last Name. It asks us to press a number or number string IF that person is unknown to us.
Is this VALID? Or should we hang up?"
Could be valid. Some voice mail type features have an option called 'Locate Me' which allows you to designate several phone #s to call to try to forward a call instead of taking a message. If your relative has this feature turned on, he/she may be trying to get an important call instead of it going to voice mail.
As an example, say I'm expecting a call from that 'special' lady and don't want voice mail to take it when I'm not at my usual number. I can turn on the locate me feature for all calls or for only her # and program in 3 or 4 numbers where I know I'm going to be at various times today and have the voice mail system try & find me. When someone answers one of those #s, the programmed voice mail asks for me - if I answer and press the right key, the call is forwarded to the # at which I answered. If not, or a different key is pressed, then the program tries the next # on my list that I programmed into it.
Hope that answers your question.
Then again, it ccould be a computer in a collection agency trying to locate your relative - LOL.