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eppur_se_muova

(36,227 posts)
Thu Jul 26, 2012, 09:40 AM Jul 2012

Is it illegal to 'spoof' phone numbers ? Anyone know how to stop it ?

We keep getting phone calls (presumably from debt collectors) from all sorts of numbers that we don't recognize, usually from nearby towns -- we have caller ID -- and from numbers we do, like Directory Assistance(!) -- 1-area code-555-1212 -- as well as what appears to be our doctor's office, but isn't. If we aren't there, or don't get to the phone within four rings, our answering machine answers and then the caller starts playing a loud, busy-signal-like noise. There's no one on the line, and no message. When we play back our messages, this goes on for several minutes before the phone co. interrupts with a recorded message to "please try your call again". I think they're just doing this to provoke someone into picking up the phone (which obviously doesn't work if we're not there). It's been going on a while, but today we got three calls like that in less than 30 minutes, and it's getting annoying.

Is there ANY way to tell if a number is being spoofed, and a way to get the real number ? I'd like to report these morons to the phone co., but don't think they can do much without a real number.

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Is it illegal to 'spoof' phone numbers ? Anyone know how to stop it ? (Original Post) eppur_se_muova Jul 2012 OP
Sounds like someone has a fax machine with your number programmed in it. liberal N proud Jul 2012 #1
Yes, and no. It's illegal to spoof them. It's not possible to block them. HopeHoops Jul 2012 #2
Someone spoofed our number to call our bank requesting a new credit card tandot Jul 2012 #3

liberal N proud

(60,302 posts)
1. Sounds like someone has a fax machine with your number programmed in it.
Thu Jul 26, 2012, 09:43 AM
Jul 2012

Some company probably and they don't even know their faxes are not getting through.

tandot

(6,671 posts)
3. Someone spoofed our number to call our bank requesting a new credit card
Fri Jul 27, 2012, 12:27 AM
Jul 2012

mailed to a different address.

We didn't know why they send us a new card and called them. They explained that someone from our phone called them requesting a new card but asked them to send it to a different mailing address. When they couldn't give the bank our security code that is on the back of the card, the bank decided to send the new card to our address. The phone number the bank recorded was ours, but only my husband and me have access to our phone and we don't have any reason for a new card.

As we looked into it, we found out that there are several websites that are used for spoofing ... apparently legal and free

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