Phone Number Spoofing: What It Is and What You Can Do
Scammers can make your own number show up on someone else's caller ID. Here is what that means and what to do about it.
A call comes in from a number that looks like yours, or close to it. Or worse, someone tells you your number called them, and you never dialed. Both are signs of a phone number spoofing scam. Here is what is going on and what you can actually do about it.
What spoofing actually is
The FCC says spoofing is when a caller deliberately falsifies the information sent to your caller ID display to disguise their identity. The number you see is not proof of who is calling. It is just what the caller wanted you to see.
Spoofing is not always illegal. The FCC says it has legitimate uses, like a doctor showing an office number instead of her personal phone. What matters is why the caller is hiding. A scammer spoofs a number to get you to answer and to get you to trust.
Why scammers spoof numbers
The FCC says scammers rely on neighbor spoofing to make an incoming call look like it comes from a local number. Your caller ID shows a phone number similar to your own. The FTC's advice describes the same trick: scammers call using a caller ID number with your area code. A local number feels familiar, so you pick up.
Scammers also pretend to be someone you already trust. The FCC says they may spoof a number from a company or a government agency you may already know and trust. Once you believe the caller is real, the FCC says they use scam scripts to try to steal your money or valuable personal information.
The FBI says criminals want you to believe spoofed messages are real so you might download malicious software, send money, or share sensitive information. Spoofing is the hook. The script that follows is where the damage happens.
Someone said my number called them
This is the part that scares people. The FCC says if people tell you your number is showing up on their caller ID, it is likely your number has been spoofed. A scammer borrowed it. You did not make the call.
Here is the good news. The FCC says these callers rotate numbers often, so they will probably drop yours within hours.
What you can do if your number is spoofed
Not much, and that is honest. But the FCC does suggest a few things.
The FCC says you can place a message on your voicemail letting callers know that your number is being spoofed. When angry people call you back, they hear the truth before they hear you.
The FCC also suggests you explain that your telephone number is being spoofed and that you did not actually make any calls.
Beyond that, wait. The scammer will likely move on within hours.
What to do when a spoofed call reaches you
The FCC says you may not be able to tell right away if an incoming call is spoofed. A number labeled as a potential scam or spam on your caller ID may have been spoofed, but so may a clean-looking local number. Judge the call by what the caller says and asks for, not by the number on the screen.
The FCC says not to answer calls from unknown numbers, and if you answer such a call, hang up immediately. If you do pick up:
- Keep your fingers off the keypad. The FCC says scammers use this keypad ploy to find promising victims.
- Do not respond to any questions, especially those that can be answered with yes or no.
- Be extremely careful about any request for personal identifying information. The FCC says to use caution if you are being pressured for information immediately.
A caller says they are from a company you know? The FBI says to look up that company's phone number on your own. Call it and ask if the request is real. The FBI also says companies generally do not contact you to ask for your username or password.
How to protect yourself going forward
A few habits cut down the noise and the risk.
The FCC says to set a password for your voice mail account with your phone service. Some voicemail services are preset to allow access if you call in from your own phone number. That is exactly what a spoofer fakes. The FCC also says to check your voicemail periodically to make sure you are not missing important calls and to clear out any spam calls.
The FCC says to talk to your phone company about call blocking tools and check into apps you can download to your mobile device. Phone companies and app developers offer call-blocking and labeling services that detect likely fraudulent calls. The FCC allows phone companies to block robocalls by default based on reasonable analytics. Carriers can also offer white list services. With that kind of service, only the numbers you keep in your contacts or add to a list can ring you. The FTC's advice says call blocking technology sometimes stops calls from scammers who make fake names or numbers show up on your caller ID. The FCC says providers are encouraged to tell consumers which calls are blocked. It also says they should explain how to report a number blocked by mistake.
Behind the scenes, the FCC is requiring the phone industry to adopt a strong caller ID authentication system to fight neighbor spoofing.
The FBI adds two habits that help beyond the phone. Set up two-factor or multi-factor authentication on any account that allows it and never disable it. Do not click on anything in an unsolicited email or text message, and never open an email attachment from someone you don't know. Spoofing is not only a phone problem. The FBI says spoofing and phishing are key parts of business email compromise scams. Scammers use slight differences in email addresses, URLs, and spelling to trick your eye and gain your trust.
Where to report spoofing
Two places take these reports. The FCC says if you think you have been the victim of a spoofing scam, you can file a complaint with the FCC. The FBI says to report spoofing and phishing to its Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov.
The FCC says illegal spoofing can bring penalties of up to $10,000 for each violation.
Want to check a number that called you? The is this phone number a scam lookup page covers the lookup tools. The FCC says a number labeled as a potential scam or spam on your caller ID may have been spoofed. See scam likely calls for what carriers put on your caller ID and why. If the call already turned into a request for money or personal details, read about the wider phone number scam patterns. And if you want to check a specific number that reached you, start with is this a scam number.