Spam callers spoof residential numbers so they're not blocked by rules and filters at the telcos. Apple has called me twice once it popped up Apple Williamsburg because I had their number in my phone, and the other time was a 800 number based on a scheduled call. What legitimate companies call from private/unknown numbers? Even HSBC my bank calls me for fraud from the exact same 800 number that I call them for fraud.
I regularly get scam calls that spoof my area code.
Hell, my number is even commonly spoofed! Every few months, I get a call from someone, then I get to explain to them that scammers can spoof phone numbers.
I think the biggest protection against this kind of scam right now is just treat every incoming call or message as untrusted. Since caller ID spoofing is just left completely unchecked by the government and telcos.
Anyone who calls me out of the blue is a huge red flag, I don't engage with them other than asking what they are calling about, if it sounds like something real then I hang up and call back through the public listed number of whoever they claim to be.
One of the things that frustrates me is that phone companies will carry calls purporting to be from numbers that don't terminate. Why would they ever think that was a good idea?
You get a scammer, they've sent their [spoofed] number, you ring it and get 'boo-boo-boop this number is not recognised'. The phone company knows the numbers that aren't taken because they use that list when you set up a new phone line.
Though it does just strike me that it's possible the number actual did terminate but the scammers pretend it didn't; but that seems a long shot.
I live in Canada, and I and most people I know receive spam calls from spoofed numbers on a semi-regular basis.
Sometimes the number only a few digits off from my number, but other times it has a name like TOLL FREE SERV. A common lure is claiming they are Service Canada or Canada Revenue Agency (or the nonexistent Revenue Canada), and the call will open with nonsensical threats like “A warrant has been placed in your social insurance number”. I have a hunch they often target wealthy international students, as sometimes the messages are entirely in Chinese.
Recently I received three calls in one day. It’s been happening for years, and the phone companies don’t appear to be able/willing/motivated to stop it. Most people I know have just resorted to not picking up calls from unknown numbers.
I don't understand the technicalities behind how they do it, but SPAM calls in the US can spoof their phone numbers. I'm not sure if it's pre or post carrier connection.
Scam callers often randomly generate the numbers that they're calling from. I've received a call claiming to be from my phone's own number. Caller ID isn't difficult to spoof.
Not always. They will spoof legitimate numbers that they don't own. If you call them back you'll usually get some very confused person who just got a bunch of calls accusing them of making spam calls.
They've started calling me using a number in my phone's area code (instead of an 800 number or one of the area codes common where I live). I've heard of scammers using this technique so I was surprised to see a major company doing it
According to the article, whoever is behind this is using some web site that lets anybody with an email address spoof a US phone number to send fraudulent messages. The phone system badly needs to be upgraded so that people can't make calls or send text messages from somebody else's phone number. Doing that would not only stop the shady service that people are using to send these hoaxes to schools but would also stop the spam calls that come from people with the same first 6 digits as your number.
There aren't really legitimate use cases for phone number spoofing and even hiding your number so it shows up as unknown on caller ID is a good way to ensure the person you're calling won't answer the phone. When somebody makes a phone call, you should be able to trust that the caller ID shows the actual phone number that is calling you.
You think this is bad, this is nothing. The worst thing is when one of these call-bots hijacks your phone number as the source/caller ID. Then you get all random people calling you about a missed call. We had a high-value xyz-8888 business number several years back that had this happen. We had to abandon the number. I assume it was someone entering in a random source number that just happened to be ours.
I live in one of the countries mentioned in the article and people living here normally get these calls from European or African numbers. We also report these calls to our version of BBB and telecom providers.
You get a call, answer it, the line cuts off, you call back the number, your credit finishes.
Normally its just elderly folks who get caught by these calls
I seem to be protected from most of these types of scams because I never answer the phone unless the number is known. If it is important they will leave a voicemail.
Yes caller ID can be spoofed, but it’s not as easy as it used to be, and a lot of spam call appears to have moved to overseas numbers.
It's great that the FTC in the US rolled with the flood of scam calls and partnered with call blocking lists [0], but ignorant question--why are scammers able to cycle through and commandeer and route through so many domestic phone numbers and remain untraceable to enforcement?
I'd like to know this, too. They spoof caller id. When you try to ask them about anything that could be used against them, they hang up. I'd seriously like to know how he did this.
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