# Phone number spoofing **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 19, 2018, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-number-spoofing/812707 "2018-04-19T14:24:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2018, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-number-spoofing/812707/41 "2018-04-20T01:03:07Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > The Do Not Call registry is working just as it was designed. Legitimate businesses respect it and don’t call. That way you know any other calls you get are scams. It never pretended to be able to block all telemarketers and scammers. Yeah, I know. Just wanted to bitch about this shit. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2018, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-number-spoofing/812707/42 "2018-04-20T03:05:55Z")
> [@Spiderman](#): > > Yes it was an intentional feature, specifically designed for companies with PBX systems. Think of a company you call for customer service, you call one phone # - 800-CALL HER(e) or 800-225-5437. When you call that #, it’s routed to the next available customer service agent. When they call you back (remember, we’re talking hypothetical scenario here; it’s about as plausible as one of **Skald** ’s ;)) they wanted your caller ID to show 800-225-5437 instead of the individual agent’s desk phone #. When we put in a new VOIP system at the school district I used to work at, we could set what number showed on caller ID from various extensions, **but it had to be a number that actually belonged to us.** Legal or not, the phone system at large should prevent people from showing bogus numbers on caller ID. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2018, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-number-spoofing/812707/43 "2018-04-20T08:40:41Z")
My home phone blocks almost all nuisance calls. Anyone on my contact list gets straight through; legitimate callers not on the list have to say who they are and then I have the option to accept or reject. 99% of all nuisance calls are blocked without any intervention from me. > **[BT Premium Cordless Home Phone with 100 Percent Nuisance Call Blocking, Mobile...](https://www.amazon.co.uk/BT-Cordless-Nuisance-Blocking-Answering-Black/dp/B0787FVBKM)** > > Free delivery and returns on eligible orders. Buy BT Premium Cordless Home Phone with 100 Percent Nuisance Call Blocking, Mobile Sync, Answer Machine, Single Handset Pack at Amazon UK. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2018, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-number-spoofing/812707/44 "2018-04-20T08:43:30Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > The Do Not Call registry is working just as it was designed. Legitimate businesses respect it and don’t call. That way you know any other calls you get are scams. It never pretended to be able to block all telemarketers and scammers. No, it isn’t. Telemarketers managed to sneak a huge loophole into the bill; or managed to get regulators to allow one provision to be stretched into a loophole. The law allows companies that you have an ‘existing business relationship’ (you’re a customer) to call you, despite the Do-Not-Call registry. Thus your bank or your insurance company or your dentist can call you, as should be allowed. But the law said that these companies, or their associated companies, could call you. When the law was passed, that was expected to be something like your car insurance company could also have their homeowners insurance company call you; or that the bank with your checking account could also have their loan department call you. But the definition of ‘associated companies’ has been stretched to include any other company that one company makes a business deal with. So the appliance company that sold you your refrigerator can make a deal with the Scammo Payday Loans Co, where Scammo pays the appliance company X% commission on any sale they make to an appliance customer. This deal makes Scammo an ‘associated company’ with your appliance company, so Scammo can now legally make calls to your number, despite the Do-Not-Call Registry. This is such a big loophole as to render the Do-Not-Call Registry system rather ineffective, even with legitimate businesses. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2018, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-number-spoofing/812707/45 "2018-04-20T11:37:49Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > Plus [no shortage](https://play.google.com/store/search?q=spoof+caller+id&c=apps) [of apps](https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1&ei=ebDYWprqHcrejwTVu5joDQ&q=spoof+caller+id+iphone&oq=spoof+caller+id+iphone&gs_l=psy-ab.3..0i13k1j0i22i30k1l9.2592.12107.0.12346.22.16.0.0.0.0.1363.3077.6-2j1.3.0....0...1c.1.64.psy-ab..20.2.1708....0.QIGxGkRy6H8). I used a number spoofing app occasionally, until it became pay-to-use. My use was legitimate IMO. I block caller ID on my phone. I do not want people to have my number. Sometimes my answering service would message me that a client from work needed a question answered. The answering service would warn people that my return call would have caller ID blocked, and their phone would need to accept this. Sometimes I’d call and get, “the party you are calling does not accept calls from callers who block caller ID”. I’d call them with my number spoofed. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2018, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-number-spoofing/812707/46 "2018-04-20T12:47:08Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > Get NoMoRobo (free for landlines) which kills most of them after one ring. > For ones that get through let voice mail or an answering machine pick it up. Real people will leave a message. NoMoRobo is useless against spoofers. That’s the whole reason they are spoofing! In particular why they pick a number to show that has the same area code and prefix. Not remotely a solution to the OP’s situation. And telemarketers do leave messages on answering machines at times. And real people sometimes just hangup because they don’t want to deal with a machine. ---
**Author:** ![SanDiegoTim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@SanDiegoTim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanDiegoTim)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2018, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-number-spoofing/812707/47 "2018-04-20T13:25:26Z")
> [@Jasmine](#): > > I have one hard and fast rule that works real well for me. If I don’t recognize the caller, I let it go. If it’s really a legitimate call for me, the person will leave a message. If not, I block the number and delete the call. It’s not a perfect system, but it works pretty well for me. > > I did actually get a message yesterday from some crooks. The message claimed they were the IRS and … blah, blah, blah, you know the rest. I deleted it as soon as I heard “IRS” and “seriously in arrears”. Do the same. Agree not perfect, but very close. If no message left I then block the number. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2018, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-number-spoofing/812707/48 "2018-04-20T13:26:27Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > And telemarketers do leave messages on answering machines at times. And real people sometimes just hangup because they don’t want to deal with a machine. They do, and if the are not in my address book _and_ refuse to leave a message I guess they didn’t really want to talk to me. I don’t know how effective it is, but you can [report](https://www.donotcall.gov/) robocalls whether you have registered with Do Not Call or not. If it is a telemarketer robocall, and most of them are, who left a message, there will obviously by a call-back number that you will need for the report. If I’m bored, I’ll answer a matching AC/Prefix call and go through the routine to get a real person on the line (it has to happen sooner or later) then start blowing my [bobby whistle](https://www.amazon.com/Nugilla-Emergency-Survival-Whistles-Training/dp/B078JB8NT4/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1524229909&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=bobby+whistle&psc=1) until they hang up. ---
**Author:** ![Alley\_Dweller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alley_dweller/32/430_2.png) [@Alley\_Dweller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alley_Dweller)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2018, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-number-spoofing/812707/49 "2018-04-20T13:28:21Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > I used a number spoofing app occasionally, until it became pay-to-use. My use was legitimate IMO. I block caller ID on my phone. I do not want people to have my number. I do hope that you know that you can block caller ID for free by prefacing the phone number you are calling with “\*67”. This works from all phones (landline and cellular) in the North American Numbering Plan region (US, Canada, and some Caribbean nations). For example. instead of dialing 1-212-555-0001, dial \*67-1-212-555-0001 (without the dashes, of course). Note that you cannot block 800 (and 8xx) calls, 900 calls, N11 (such as 911) calls from getting your number. ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2018, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-number-spoofing/812707/50 "2018-04-20T13:58:33Z")
> [@Alley\_Dweller](#): > > I do hope that you know that you can block caller ID for free by prefacing the phone number you are calling with “\*67”. This works from all phones (landline and cellular) in the North American Numbering Plan region (US, Canada, and some Caribbean nations). The funny thing about \*67 is that it still sends your caller id, but the protocol says not to display it. The \*67 is a _request_ to not display caller id rather than not sending it at all. If you’re calling a landline, hackers and others with special hardware can still read your caller id even with \*67 since the info is still sent over the line. As for the OP, there are legitimate uses for changing caller id. Sometimes a legit company will contract with a telemarketing company to contact customers. The caller id will be changed for the main company rather than the telemarketing company. So you’ll see “Citibank” instead of “ABC Phone Support”. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2018, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-number-spoofing/812707/51 "2018-04-20T14:26:51Z")
> [@duffer](#): > > For instance, let’s say a T-Mobile customer calls me. Same area code and prefix. I refuse to believe T-Mobile can’t have some autobot in the matrix that would know if it’s a T-Mobile number or a spoof. Phone numbers can be carried over from one carrier to another. Same area code and prefix means the number originated with T-Mobile, but it could be anyone’s now. ---
**Author:** ![Ashtura](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ashtura/32/2963_2.png) [@Ashtura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashtura)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2018, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-number-spoofing/812707/52 "2018-04-20T15:05:48Z")
I actually just ran into this. Some creep is texting my daughter. She called the cops and they said it was a fake number and couldn’t do anything. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2018, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-number-spoofing/812707/53 "2018-04-20T16:13:19Z")
> [@Ashtura](#): > > I actually just ran into this. Some creep is texting my daughter. She called the cops and they said it was a fake number and couldn’t do anything. File a police report (if you haven’t already), then give a copy of the report to her cell phone carrier and request/demand a new cell phone number for her unless they can block this harasser. Once she has a new number, she needs to be extremely careful who she gives her number to. It’s likely a former friend or a friend of a friend who is harassing her. Edited to add: you might have to escalate up the management chain of command, but at some point they’ll give her a new number. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2018, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-number-spoofing/812707/54 "2018-04-20T16:34:43Z")
> [@Alley\_Dweller](#): > > I do hope that you know that you can block caller ID for free by prefacing the phone number you are calling with “\*67”. This works from all phones (landline and cellular) in the North American Numbering Plan region (US, Canada, and some Caribbean nations). Yep, I have my phone set up through Verizon to never send caller ID by default. All my contacts are entered as \*82, then their 7 digit phone number , so that my friends get to see I’m calling. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2018, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-number-spoofing/812707/55 "2018-04-20T17:22:56Z")
I find it interesting that in a thread complaining about marketers being able to mask/hide their real phone number, we have posters explaining how to hide your phone number, and saying they do so routinely, while others won’t answer calls unless they recognize the number. Personally, I’m on the “won’t answer calls if I don’t recognize the number” side, and I think blocking caller ID should **not** be allowed. ---
**Author:** ![pdhenry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pdhenry/32/5561_2.png) [@pdhenry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pdhenry)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2018, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-number-spoofing/812707/56 "2018-04-20T17:38:29Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > They have a limited number of people to pick up when someone answers. If no one is available you get dead air. The temp for that is an “Abandoned Call” . It’s been against FCC and FTC regs\* for some time for a telemarketer to have an Abandoned Call rate above 3% per “calling campaign” over a 30-day period (but since they’re likely already ignoring the DNC list, good luck with getting any relief). \*[https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs\_public/attachmatch/FCC-12-21A1.doc](https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-12-21A1.doc) ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2018, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-number-spoofing/812707/57 "2018-04-20T19:11:14Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > I don’t know how effective it is, but you can [report](https://www.donotcall.gov/) robocalls whether you have registered with Do Not Call or not. If it is a telemarketer robocall, and most of them are, who left a message, there will obviously by a call-back number that you will need for the report. With the current level of telemarketer spoofing this won’t help and might possibly hurt. E.g., telemarketers have used _my_ number in caller ID. (I know this because someone called me asking WTF I was up to.) If people complained about my number then I might get blocked making my ordinary calls. Forget any of the stuff that helped a little bit a couple years ago. They’ve moved on. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2018, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-number-spoofing/812707/58 "2018-04-20T19:28:08Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > NoMoRobo is useless against spoofers. That’s the whole reason they are spoofing! In particular why they pick a number to show that has the same area code and prefix. > > Not remotely a solution to the OP’s situation. > > And telemarketers do leave messages on answering machines at times. And real people sometimes just hangup because they don’t want to deal with a machine. NoMoRobo blocks spoofed calls for me all the time. I can see the number. Some calls do get through, but I’d say less than 1% of them leave a message. And if real callers don’t want to leave a message, tough. After all, we might not be there as opposed to screening our calls. My wife works from home, and the number of junk calls she got was intolerable. We got NoMoRobo as soon as we switched from an old fashioned landline, and it saved her sanity. And mine also now that I’m home all the time. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2018, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-number-spoofing/812707/59 "2018-04-20T19:31:08Z")
> [@Pleonast](#): > > Phone numbers can be carried over from one carrier to another. Same area code and prefix means the number originated with T-Mobile, but it could be anyone’s now. Plus if the call is coming from overseas T-Mobile might never even handle the call. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2018, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-number-spoofing/812707/60 "2018-04-20T19:38:16Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > With the current level of telemarketer spoofing this won’t help and might possibly hurt. > > E.g., telemarketers have used _my_ number in caller ID. (I know this because someone called me asking WTF I was up to.) If people complained about my number then I might get blocked making my ordinary calls. > > Forget any of the stuff that helped a little bit a couple years ago. They’ve moved on. [Here](https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2492079,00.asp) is a description of how NoMoRobo works. If it blocks your number when you call, you get the opportunity to hit a button to prove that you are real. Autodialed spam calls can’t do this. (It is kind of like Capcha.) I don’t know if the crowd sourced cellphone app does this. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-number-spoofing/812707.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-number-spoofing/812707.md?page=4)