All of a sudden we've started getting calls from wierd area codes ... and it's always the same thing - "someone called from your number, why did you call?"
Is this some sort of a scam and does it work by me simply picking up? Or is my number being spoofed?
(05-20-2010, 08:48 AM)ZTWsquared Wrote: [ -> ]All of a sudden we've started getting calls from wierd area codes ... and it's always the same thing - "someone called from your number, why did you call?"
Is this some sort of a scam and does it work by me simply picking up? Or is my number being spoofed?
Did you google the phone numbers of the people that called you? That might shed some light.
i believe that with most phone scams they try and get you to call them back then you get charged the astronomical rates. unless its a collect call there making to you, i think your fine.
i think
(05-20-2010, 09:42 AM)OAC_Sparky Wrote: [ -> ] (05-20-2010, 08:48 AM)ZTWsquared Wrote: [ -> ]All of a sudden we've started getting calls from wierd area codes ... and it's always the same thing - "someone called from your number, why did you call?"
Is this some sort of a scam and does it work by me simply picking up? Or is my number being spoofed?
Did you google the phone numbers of the people that called you? That might shed some light.
I've only recently started checking and the last few have all been cell phones.
Is this your cell they've been calling?
If so I would call your cell provider and have them look at your bill for any abnormal calls (ie calling Pakistan) in case your phone has been cloned/spoofed.
(05-20-2010, 12:40 PM)OAC_Sparky Wrote: [ -> ]Is this your cell they've been calling?
If so I would call your cell provider and have them look at your bill for any abnormal calls (ie calling Pakistan) in case your phone has been cloned/spoofed.
No, it's my land-based bell line ... the originating calls are from cell phones ... seems pretty clear that someone's spoofing my number for fake call display purposes.
Time to dump Bell and time to dump the land line.
I'm surprised that someone would spoof someone's actual number.. Usually it's an invalid number like 1-111-111-1111...
While there's a law in the US coming into effect that outlaws caller id spoofing, I'm not sure if such measures are coming to Canada anytime soon. The only way to end spoofing is to pressure your MP to act on it.
if someone spoofs your number, don't worry, you will not get charged, ie the calls have to go through the home switch of your telco provider and their CDR records will show this, otherwise, not to worry.
now on the other hand, if you call back some of those numbers, be carefull. I've seen people call 1-876 numbers thinking it was toll free, but they are calling jamaica and other carribean countries with 800-Like area codes, but its an actual billable npa/nxx you are dialing.
so yeah best to just ignore the calls, theres millions of phone customers they will try when they get tired of you.
(05-23-2010, 11:33 PM)paolo Wrote: [ -> ]if someone spoofs your number, don't worry, you will not get charged, ie the calls have to go through the home switch of your telco provider and their CDR records will show this, otherwise, not to worry.
now on the other hand, if you call back some of those numbers, be carefull. I've seen people call 1-876 numbers thinking it was toll free, but they are calling jamaica and other carribean countries with 800-Like area codes, but its an actual billable npa/nxx you are dialing.
so yeah best to just ignore the calls, theres millions of phone customers they will try when they get tired of you.
I figured I wasn't getting dinged for this (Bell confirmed) - but it's tough for me to ignore the calls because I have a lot of clients and a few relatives in the states - so I end up answering them ... I don't want to hang up on these folks, after all it's really not their fault ... but damn, after 5 minutes of trying to explain that I in fact did not call their number, that's pretty much what I have to do.