Nusance call with spoofed local number
JamesE
Posts: 6,456 Forum Member
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I have recently been getting calls, obviously from a call centre because of the initial delay and the the background noise, who know my name (it's in the book) from ideal or something telecomm, I can't understand them properly as they have asian accents. BUT: the calling number appears as a local number. I told them to p*** off. I tried ringing it back (using no area code), hoping to ring off if it rang out but it was immediately answered by a machine - "Hello, you were called....."
Anyone else? How is it done?
Anyone else? How is it done?
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I assume the phone system is being hacked and my personal solution was at first to use a call blocker that worked fairly well but in the end I gave up my landline for broadband only and now use a VoIP for those that need to contact me local rate and don’t use mobiles.
Drastic but yes it was that bad having to take these measures after having actually had someone rear end my car on the A303 and my insurance company passing on my details to a third party to provide me with car hire while my own car was repaired and someone in that company passing information about the accident.
It’s coming up to 2 years now of the VoIP service and I’ve not had one call telling me about the accident I had or any other calls than expected ones and even if I had its simple to change my number if required.
But of course there are any number of illegitimate reasons for entering a fake number, mainly to conceal the caller's true identity and to get round call blockers. If you block one number the scammers just program in a new number which doesn't get blocked.
Scrupulous telcos won't let businesses send literally any number they like though - usually it has to be a number that they can prove they have ownership/control of
Unfortunately some telcos (and VoIP companies) just don't care, and that's why you get calls from numbers that just don't make sense, like 01234 567890. Some of them must be calling from abroad, because you get some abomination like 4401234 567890
I worked for a very small firm which had a VoIP system and a PBX and it was very easy via a webpage interface to spoof whatever number you wanted to display. We set the displayed number as our main BT landline number but there were no apparent restrictions on the number we could choose. And that was with one of the biggest UK telecom providers.
I just wonder if the telcos even bother to check the CLI is valid. There is some interesting info on CLI here
http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/telecoms/policy/calling-line-id/caller-line-id/
There is a provision in there for a call centre to use a Presentation Number belonging to one of their clients, with that clients permission. Which does make you wonder how the telcos could check in that scenario. Or do they take the easy option and assume the caller is playing by the rules and don't bother. Does make you wonder....