New Phone number

So I have this new iPhone. I really think that the "new" number they gave me has been used by atleast 6 different people. The first day I turned on the phone I received a text from someone who was asking if he was ever going to see the $700 tuition payment. I told him he had the wrong number.dra
The next person who contacted me was asking about some children's book thing and I told him he had the wrong number. Then he texted me later and said that my number was on the internet linking to a group of children's illustrators??? Then he texted later and said if I ever needed a friend or just someone to talk that I could text him. WTF??? Who does that? He calls me with a wrong number and wants to hook up?
Then someone was texting someone named Mara and asking her for a buddy pass so her son in law could go to Berlin from New Orleans.
A Valery first texted me asking how I was and then sent one of those silly patriotic cartoon drawings. I've had the phone for a least a month now, so they aren't too close.
I also got this long text about the dangers of strawberry quick, a new type of crystal meth that I need to make sure my kids don't get ahold of. And I'm supposed to forward it to as many people as possible.
Isn't there a certain amount of time that has to pass before they re-use a number? There needs to be!