Ever been spoofed?

Rennie Heuer

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Well, I learned a new term last week - spoofing. A process where someone downloads an app that allows them to to send another number as their caller ID when they made calls. Their own number is hidden and the 'fake' number is displayed on the phone of the person being called.

It has happened to me. Today alone I have received three calls from nice people returning a call that showed up on their caller ID.

According to Verizon it is not illegal and there is no way to trace who is doing it. I have only two options, change my number (which seems useless and a bother. It's my business number and, if it is someone trying to make my life miserable, they will just adopt my new number), or wait them out hoping that they will decide to target someone else.

Ever happen to you? What did you do?
 
I politely tell them to put me on their do not call list... the 1st time, after that, I hang up on them.

Not sure I follow you. :huh: Why would I be mean to them? They are just returning a call to a number left on their caller ID. I would do the same thing if I came home and found I had missed a call.
 
I politely tell them to put me on their do not call list... the 1st time, after that, I hang up on them.

Do you mean they should add my number to their blocked call list? That might not help as it is a different person every time. About 10 calls so far over the past 2 weeks, all different.
 
Any way of figuring out who is doing it?

Just trying to figure out what the scam is. Why would these people return a call to a random message?
 
Do you mean they should add my number to their blocked call list? That might not help as it is a different person every time. About 10 calls so far over the past 2 weeks, all different.
the Company has to maintain a list, if their agent(s) are getting your number from a list, they have to get it somewhere, and that source is supposed to delete at your request. I misunderstood, that they were calling your back.

I thought you were getting calls from a company, not folks returning calls.
 
The behavior that is causing you interruption is not one I have been able to understand, try as I may. What is it that makes a person who has missed a call from a number, that they do not recognize, call that number to see who it was. I have had people call back whom I have called in error, realized my mistake and hung up before they or their voicemail answers. If the person, or voicemail, does answer before I disconnect, I explain my error or leave a voicemail explaining my error. That's just common decency as I have invaded their privacy in error.

Some of these people call me back to see what I wanted and seem at a loss that I had just mis-dialed. I have to assume that their pathetic lives are so much 'all about them' that they cannot fathom that I didn't actually want to talk to them!?!
 
the Company has to maintain a list, if their agent(s) are getting your number from a list, they have to get it somewhere, and that source is supposed to delete at your request. I misunderstood, that they were calling your back.

I thought you were getting calls from a company, not folks returning calls.

You misunderstand. Someone is impersonating Rennie. It's called spoofing.

Someone is calling people and those people have Rennie's phone number showing up on their caller ID. These people are apparently looking at their phones, seeing a missed call from Rennie's number and calling him back saying "Why did you call me?" And he says "I didn't call you. Someone is faking out CallerID and is using my number as the fake."

It's like writing someone else's address in the return address area on an envelope.
 
Any way of figuring out who is doing it?

Just trying to figure out what the scam is. Why would these people return a call to a random message?

The only thing that comes to mind is a collection agency or telemarketer hiding there number. Doesn't come up as unlisted or a 1 800 so the party they are calling answers the phone.
 
You misunderstand. Someone is impersonating Rennie. It's called spoofing.

Someone is calling people and those people have Rennie's phone number showing up on their caller ID. These people are apparently looking at their phones, seeing a missed call from Rennie's number and calling him back saying "Why did you call me?" And he says "I didn't call you. Someone is faking out CallerID and is using my number as the fake."

It's like writing someone else's address in the return address area on an envelope.

I gather that, I did mis-understand initially.
 
Yes, Glenn has it - these are private citizens, and a couple of businesses, that are getting the spoof calls. When they call me "back" I apologize for their inconvenience and explain the issue.

I can't for the life of me understand why. If it were a collection agency then perhaps I could understand as they might get more people to pick up if they did not see an 888 type of number - I for one never pick up an 800 call. Other than to aggravate me I can think of no other reason.

And, yes, according to Verizon it is not illegal. Can't see why as it is a form of identity theft.
 
Hate to say it, but must be an Idaho thing... if someone calls and we don't know the number, the answering machine gets it, no message = no call back. If they are leaving a message, I'd bet they're doing so leaving 'their' number not yours.
 
Hate to say it, but must be an Idaho thing... if someone calls and we don't know the number, the answering machine gets it, no message = no call back. If they are leaving a message, I'd bet they're doing so leaving 'their' number not yours.

Actually, My son - who works for T-Mobile, says it's pretty common and not at all regional. There are apps available for android and ios phones that allow you to do this. However, we are pretty polite in ID, so people do tend to call back. :D Remember, they are seeing a local number so suspicions are low as compared to seeing a blocked or 800 number.
 
Like other Mal-ware type things, the causing of inconvenience is infinitely amusing to the perpetrators. The present version of crank-calling and ding-dong-dash.
 
I called my sister from my Dad's phone in Washington to Montana yesterday she said a different number showed up when Dad called a couple of days ago & again when I called we have not installed any software. But when I call from Dad's phone to my cell it's normal.
 
Similar to what Ned does. Our answering machine is always on. I set up cordless phones in several places around the house and we have corded phones on either side of our bed. It's no problem for us to get to the phone within the first four rings. If we don't recognize the number and no message is left, we delete it and get on with our lives.
 
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Well, I'm probably guilty somewhat of spoofing. When my wife worked in the medicare insurance, she was given lists of numbers to setup appointments with from folks that were wanting to meet with someone to discuss changing plans. She would sometimes travel to smaller towns and other cities for the appointments. Given our area has a half dozen area codes out side of our own, she had a hard time getting appointments confirmed when the area code was outside of ours. So I'd register a phone number in the area she was making appointments for. This dramatically increased the chances of the person answering. We'd then forward any calls from that phone number to her business line and cell phone in the event they called back after she left a message.

It's surprisingly easy to do, so can see why the telemarketers do it so often. Though most of the voip services I've tried don't allow you to set a caller-id other than ones that you have registered, but I know there are ones out there that do let you.
 
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