I do recognise that a lot of it is probably just playing up for the joke, but I assume it has to come from somewhere. I regularly see posts where basically Person A sends an odd image/message, then follows up with “wrong number, sorry” and Person B responds with “wait stay”.
Do Americans, as a rule, not save phone numbers? Or is it purely a bit that has become a trope?
My phone number is the same as the tech support number for a crappy dashcam company - except the last two digits are transposed.
I get a few calls and texts each month for them.
When I’m in a good mood I copy and paste a helpful response telling them the issue. When I’m annoyed, I just block the person.