Not sure it's been mentioned before but it's obvious. It's a trap to identify whistleblowers.
They do that all the time
"Out of the frying pan into the fire"
Or could it be a "cute" pointer away from themselves? As in, that's not the real number which shows the connection?
I remember the bio of a key figure who was a liasion US and England. He "disappeared" and "is not coming back" Not sure if that meant dead. But I think they killed him since his testimony would be so deadly should he be caught. He disappeared early with a long history in C_A. "Gone with the wind" "Taken by the Wind" The informant referred to him with something like those words. Can't remember his name but could be found in Bread archives.