By [Adeel Rajpoot]
A growing number of internet users, scattered across cities and continents, report receiving a cryptic message or phone call from a number that few can trace and none can explain: 913-578-9124, often labeled in forums and message boards as “PCG 913-578-9124.” What started as scattered confusion in Reddit comment sections has quickly evolved into a digital-age mystery—an enigma gripping the imaginations of thousands online.
From blurred Craigslist listings to strange SMS threads and obsessive Reddit deep-dives, the so-called “PCG number” has sparked speculation about everything from government surveillance to underground marketing campaigns to elaborate alternate reality games. This is the anatomy of a modern internet mystery, unfolding in real time.
Chapter 1: The First Ping
Kansas City, 2023.
Reddit user u/steepcornstalk posted a screenshot in r/UnresolvedMysteries. It was a plain message:
“Your PCG order is confirmed. For inquiries, contact 913-578-9124.”
There was no context—no website, no product, no company ID. A reverse lookup traced the number to Paola, Kansas, a small city with a population under 6,000. The user had not placed any order. Within hours, others replied. They too had received similar messages. One even claimed their message came at 3:13 AM local time—a pattern that would become a recurring detail.
Chapter 2: Craigslist Clues and the “PCG” Tag
Then came the Craigslist posts.
Users across several metro areas—Chicago, Phoenix, Las Vegas—noticed odd listings under the “General” or “Missed Connections” categories. These posts were short, vaguely poetic, and always ended with the same thing:
“PCG. Call 913-578-9124.”
The listings were ephemeral, often disappearing within 24 hours. Archived versions retrieved via Wayback Machine showed variations of the same phrase:
- “They’re watching the rivers again. PCG. Call 913-578-9124.”
- “Not all codes are binary. PCG.”
The anonymity and eeriness mirrored the vibes of early 2010s viral campaigns or ARGs like Cicada 3301. Yet when tech journalist Maya Tien of The Verge attempted to call the number in December 2024, she was met with three seconds of white noise and a sudden hang-up.
Chapter 3: Reddit’s Rabbit Hole
By early 2025, entire threads on r/ARG, r/creepypasta, and r/NoSleep became dedicated to uncovering the PCG mystery. Some users believed PCG stood for “Private Communications Group,” a rumored shell company with alleged links to black-hat telecommunication routing. Others speculated “PCG” was shorthand for “Psychological Compliance Gateway,” an ominous-sounding term with no clear origin.
Reddit user u/groundbyte compiled a digital map plotting every reported encounter with the number. Remarkably, the pattern formed a loose crescent across the Midwest and Southwest—a shape one user likened to “a scythe or a waning moon.” Was it coincidence or part of the myth-making process that thrives on ambiguity?
Chapter 4: A Tangled Web of Theories
The mystery only deepened as theories emerged:
1. The ARG Theory
Some users believe PCG is an elaborate alternate reality game. One theory points to “Project Cicada Ghost”—a rumored successor to Cicada 3301 that was supposedly recruiting individuals for an online puzzle challenge. The lack of clear branding supports this angle.
2. The Marketing Ploy Hypothesis
Skeptics suggest the number is part of a guerrilla marketing campaign for an upcoming indie film, video game, or cryptocurrency. However, over two years have passed since the first reports, with no product reveal or monetization strategy in sight.
3. Government Surveillance Paranoia
Paranoid but persistent, some believe PCG is a front for a surveillance network or a psychological experiment targeting social media echo chambers. Supporters cite the uniformity in time-of-day message delivery and the sudden deletion of Craigslist posts as evidence of backend algorithmic control.
4. The Turing Signal Conspiracy
This fringiest theory claims the messages are sent out by an emergent AI using the PCG tag as a “ping”—a Turing test of sorts—to identify humans who respond in particular ways. One Reddit user who replied to the message with “I didn’t order anything” claims they began receiving targeted YouTube ads for mental health therapy.
Chapter 5: We Called the Number
In March 2025, our team called the number from a clean burner line, twice.
The first time, we were greeted with silence followed by two high-pitched beeps and disconnection. The second time, we received what sounded like Morse code in rapid succession. We passed the audio to Morse code hobbyist forums. The consensus?
“ENCRYPTED. TRY AGAIN. PCG.”
Of course, this interpretation may be biased—another layer of speculation in a story already steeped in uncertainty. But if this is a hoax, it’s one of remarkable sophistication and consistency.
Chapter 6: Who—or What—is Behind PCG?
Attempts to trace ownership of the number led to a shell LLC in Kansas that does not list any employees or legitimate business filings. An FOIA request revealed nothing. Google searches for “PCG” in combination with the number have been mysteriously de-indexed since late 2024.
One strange clue emerged in April 2025. A Twitter account, @pcg_signal, began posting cryptic images of satellite dishes, abandoned phone booths, and coordinates in the Mojave Desert. The tweets, each ending in #9135789124, were deleted after gaining attention. The account vanished.
Chapter 7: The Myth Becomes the Message
As with many internet-born phenomena, the power of PCG lies not in hard facts but in its ability to inspire speculation and community obsession. Like the Slender Man mythos or Cicada 3301, PCG now exists in a cultural limbo—a ghost signal flickering at the edge of digital awareness.
In fact, several artists have incorporated “PCG 913-578-9124” into their work. Indie band Glass Wake used it as a track name. TikTokers film dramatic skits about answering the number and disappearing. Fiction or fact, the line is deliberately blurred.
Conclusion: The Signal Persists
What makes PCG 913-578-9124 so captivating isn’t necessarily its content, but its absence of clarity. It’s a question without a satisfying answer in a digital era obsessed with resolution. The number persists like a ghost transmission from a forgotten station—disruptive, alluring, and oddly personal.
Perhaps it’s nothing more than a prank spun out of control. Or maybe it’s a deeply coded campaign. But until someone steps forward with the full truth, PCG 913-578-9124 will remain the internet’s latest unsolved mystery—part riddle, part ritual, and wholly unforgettable.