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MisterBill
Verizon FiOS
join:2002-06-05
Yorktown Heights, NY

2 edits

MisterBill

Member

[FiOS Phone] HELP Someone spoofing my name# as Caller ID on Telemarketing calls

First, I'm a FiOS DV customer but this probably is not directly related to it (but I don't see a generic phone issues forum).

In the past hour, I've gotten about a dozen calls from people who claim that I've called them. I haven't called anyone, and the calls aren't automated (according to someone I spoke to when she called a second time after first leaving a message saying she was calling the police). She said they were asking about being a Con Edison (electric/gas utility) customer and hung up when she said she wasn't. Apparently the Caller ID they get has both my number AND name. I've never seen something like this. I don't want to change my phone number, but is there anything I can do other than waiting for it to blow over and hope the scammers start using another victom's number? I guess I should call Verizon but I wonder what they'd be able to do; ditto for the police.
vulgate
join:2012-01-27

vulgate

Member

Re: [FiOS Phone] Help! Someone is using my name/number for Telemarketing calls!

Looks like someone is spoofing your number to caller ID. If you know the phone numbers of the people who have received the calls, that would be helpful investigative purposes.
MisterBill
Verizon FiOS
join:2002-06-05
Yorktown Heights, NY

3 edits

MisterBill

Member

I know some numbers that were called because many of them are calling me back. But who do I report it to?

And thank you for reminding me of the "technical" term for it (which I should have known). I changed the subject here, and now I am able to find a bunch of articles about it on Google.

BTW it's amazing how many people will return a missed phone call from someone they do not know.

I've decided to set my line to Do Not Disturb for now. I should record a message explaining the situation.
MisterBill

MisterBill

Member

Re: [FiOS Phone] HELP Someone spoofing my name# as Caller ID on Telemarketing calls

One more thing.. about 20 minutes before the calls began, I received a call from a telemarketer for Life Giving Moments, an alleged charity who I've gotten an unpleasnt call from previously. I hung up on them (I normally would not have answered but I just woke up and couldn't read the Caller ID). Any chance the two events are related?
MisterBill

MisterBill

Member

So, the good news is I've discovered that there is a "white list" for FDV Do Not Disturb mode, so I've put the 10 numbers that are likely to be calling us (family cell/work/home) and the rest will get a message saying that this number is not accepting messages at this time. The volume of incoming calls seems to have picked up.. a call a minute or so. VERY happy that FDV has the DND feature!
bsangs
join:2002-08-21
Montclair, NJ

bsangs to MisterBill

Member

to MisterBill

Re: [FiOS Phone] Help! Someone is using my name/number for Telemarketing calls!

I return those calls sometimes because there is an opt-out message available when you call back. And if a person actually answers - which hardly ever happens - I tell them to please remove us from the call list.
MisterBill
Verizon FiOS
join:2002-06-05
Yorktown Heights, NY

MisterBill

Member

But if it's a telemarketer who's already calling you illegally becuase you're on the DND list, what are the odds of them honoring your request not to call? If anything, it could be like email spam, where you let them know they've reached a real person.

BTW I'm getting 10 calls per 15 minutes (slightly down from 10 per 10 earlier). Thank goodness for FDV's DND feature! So much easier than having to take the phone off the hook or unplugging it in the "old days"! And with the white list, at least I make sure I can get important calls.
bsangs
join:2002-08-21
Montclair, NJ

bsangs

Member

I see your point, but since the calls seem to cease after I do that, I don't think that's the case. Our junk calls have decreased tenfold since I started doing that instead of simply ignoring the calls.
PJL
join:2008-07-24
Long Beach, CA

PJL to bsangs

Member

to bsangs
said by bsangs:

I return those calls sometimes because there is an opt-out message available when you call back. And if a person actually answers - which hardly ever happens - I tell them to please remove us from the call list.

By doing this your are simply validating your number.
bsangs
join:2002-08-21
Montclair, NJ

bsangs

Member

And yet the amount of calls have decreased dramatically. So validation or not, the goal of less junk calling has been achieved.
Shady Bimmer
Premium Member
join:2001-12-03

Shady Bimmer

Premium Member

said by bsangs:

And yet the amount of calls have decreased dramatically. So validation or not, the goal of less junk calling has been achieved.

You likely are not on any Do Not Call registries then. The national registry is at »www.donotcall.gov and if you are already on that list then these firms should not be calling in the first place. In general if you are already on a DNC list and the firm still calls you, it only makes your number more valuable when you actually call them back. If you are not already on a DNC list then yes this would have a benefit for stopping calls from legitimate firms.

I too find it odd that people will arbitrarily call back a number they do not recognize. If they did not answer the call when it came in then why call back? If they (the person called) were away (missed the call) and no message was left, either it was not important, the caller realized (upon hearing the message) that they misdialed, or they will call again.

To the OP, unfortunately there is nothing that can be done to prevent this other than using DND features as you've done. CallerID is unfortunately easily (and commonly) spoofed.
MisterBill
Verizon FiOS
join:2002-06-05
Yorktown Heights, NY

1 edit

MisterBill

Member

I spoke to someone at Verizon Support via Twitter (they're very responsive) and they gave me the number of their "unlawful call center" (and said they could send my information to them), but they're closed until Monday.

tito79
join:2010-03-14
Port Saint Lucie, FL

tito79

Member

As soon as I started to get them calls I registered to do not call list I never received a telemarketer call ever agian
MisterBill
Verizon FiOS
join:2002-06-05
Yorktown Heights, NY

MisterBill

Member

Re: [FiOS Phone] HELP Someone spoofing my name# as Caller ID on Telemarketing calls

Only 10 calls over the past 3 hours, so maybe they've stopped and they'll pick another victim to spoof tomorrow. I guess I'll find out in the morning. It's really nice that the refused calls still show up in your call log.

Rattler
join:2001-04-13
Havertown, PA

1 recommendation

Rattler to tito79

Member

to tito79

Re: [FiOS Phone] Help! Someone is using my name/number for Telemarketing calls!

said by tito79:

As soon as I started to get them calls I registered to do not call list I never received a telemarketer call ever agian

Consider yourself lucky... We're on the DNC list and get 3 - 5 telemarketer calls a day (our registration IS current). About a week ago, we got three calls within ten minutes from the same caller.

To add insult to injury, I tried to file a complaint with the FCC against a telemarketer who continually ignored the DNC list as well as my telling them to stop calling. The paperwork I got from the FCC made me feel like I would be prosecuted if I failed to cross my I's and dot my T's in the complaint and something didn't gee up. Left very sour taste in my mouth about the whole system.

K3SGM
- -... ...- -
Premium Member
join:2006-01-17
Columbia, PA

K3SGM to MisterBill

Premium Member

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Re: [FiOS Phone] HELP Someone spoofing my name# as Caller ID on Telemarketing calls

This is probably how they are doing it: »www.spoofcard.com/
Or something similar to it.

Nobody has stolen your number or taken control of your VZ account, they use the card to call a 3rd party service, that can alter the CNAM information to whatever they want(insert phone number), they can also add a voice changer and background sound effects.

They bypass the Do-Not-Call list, because the callers are random, non-business entities, where the DNC registry list is presented to telemarketing firms, as a tool to take registered numbers out of their auto-dial process.

I would contact Verizon, after you note the name, date, and time of the calls, and ask them to legally pursue the company behind the spoofing, but the people calling you are also likely victims of the same prank, because they received a call from what appeared to be your phone number..

It's generally impossible to catch the culprits, because they sell the cards all over the place, and they usually are purchased anonymously, cash and carry.

They tried to pass a federal law making spoofing completely illegal, but I believe it is currently only illegal if it's used to sexually harass, threaten, or defraud someone of money.

As far as I know, it's popularly used for High School and College pranking, by a bunch of kids that have too much free time, and have had a few too many to drink.

Your State laws may vary, but I would see what Verizon can do for you.

birdfeedr
MVM
join:2001-08-11
Warwick, RI

1 recommendation

birdfeedr to Rattler

MVM

to Rattler

Re: [FiOS Phone] Help! Someone is using my name/number for Telemarketing calls!

If the NSA wanted to get less resistance for their telephone metadata gathering, they'd find a way to enforce the do not call list. Telemarketers are terrorists.

I use a Digitone Call Blocker. Very effective.
bsangs
join:2002-08-21
Montclair, NJ

1 edit

bsangs to Shady Bimmer

Member

to Shady Bimmer
Am on every DNC list that's available. For multiple numbers. Have been since the option was available. Not sure why some people can't seem to comprehend this. I call back, I follow the prompt to remove my number from their calling list (if such an option is available) and I don't get called back. Or I answer the original call, tell them to remove us from the list and don't get called back. It's not a theory, it's not a hypothesis, it's not even debatable - it's what happens. So all this "you're validating your number" paranoia, or whatever you want to call it, is silly. Had one - ONE - junk call the last two weeks, and that was a political call, which there's nothing you can do about anyway.
MisterBill
Verizon FiOS
join:2002-06-05
Yorktown Heights, NY

MisterBill to K3SGM

Member

to K3SGM

Re: [FiOS Phone] HELP Someone spoofing my name# as Caller ID on Telemarketing calls

said by K3SGM:

Nobody has stolen your number or taken control of your VZ account,

but the people calling you are also likely victims of the same prank, because they received a call from what appeared to be your phone number..

Well, spoofing really is like stealing my number. And I know that the people who are calling me are victims as well.

I thought that the law passed in 2010 made spoofing illegal, but I will admit to not having read it.
nyrrule27
join:2007-12-06
Howell, NJ

nyrrule27 to MisterBill

Member

to MisterBill
Forget he unlawfull call center. Call the fsc. We have a doc on this. And if they tell you they can't help. Tell them to check again. I don't remember the exact text of it but I know there is a doc spoofing was def in it though
criggs
join:2000-07-14
New York, NY

criggs

Member

What's the FSC?

More Fiber
MVM
join:2005-09-26
Cape Coral, FL

More Fiber

MVM

Fiber Solutions Center
888-553-1555
criggs
join:2000-07-14
New York, NY

criggs

Member

Thanks.

K3SGM
- -... ...- -
Premium Member
join:2006-01-17
Columbia, PA

K3SGM to MisterBill

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to MisterBill
said by MisterBill:

I thought that the law passed in 2010 made spoofing illegal, but I will admit to not having read it.

The person that introduced the Federal anti-spoofing bill was NY Sen. Chuck Schumer, maybe you could contact his office to get the specifics on what is, and is not illegal.

They may have passed a law to limit it, but I don't think they banned it.

The exception was that you could spoof your own number, and prank your personal friends, but where these people have gone with your number is more about harassment and fraud.
nyrrule27
join:2007-12-06
Howell, NJ

nyrrule27

Member

Whatever the laws are, Verizon has a process for it. Call in for help.
billhere
join:2011-10-21
Santa Monica, CA

billhere to MisterBill

Member

to MisterBill
In the past two days I've gotten two automated calls that I picked up. Nobody there for a few seconds, then a sexy female voice saying "Goodbye", then a click and a dial tone.

Now if she only said "Hello" and waited perhaps we could have had a conversation.
MisterBill
Verizon FiOS
join:2002-06-05
Yorktown Heights, NY

MisterBill to nyrrule27

Member

to nyrrule27
said by nyrrule27:

Forget he unlawfull call center. Call the fsc. We have a doc on this. And if they tell you they can't help. Tell them to check again. I don't remember the exact text of it but I know there is a doc spoofing was def in it though

So I hadn't seen your response and called the unlawful call center and they gave me a number at the FTC to report it to. She said they had no way of tracking where the calls were coming from so there was nothing they could do. What's the FSC going to do for me other than give me the same info?
lijacobs
join:2010-07-30
Woodmere, NY

lijacobs to MisterBill

Member

to MisterBill
Not withstanding all that has been said in this thread VZ DOES have the resources to investigate these kinds of malicious telemarketing attacks. These resources however would incur a substantial expense on their part. My guess would be that it would take some sort of litigation to get VZ to act.
nyrrule27
join:2007-12-06
Howell, NJ

nyrrule27 to MisterBill

Member

to MisterBill
I don't remember the exact content in the doc but I think it gets sent to a special dept handing spoofing. As I said prev just call and have them look for the doc and see if it pertains to you.

battleop
join:2005-09-28
00000

battleop to K3SGM

Member

to K3SGM
You don't have to use spoofcard to do it. You just need to have a PBX that can send what ever calling number you want and a provider that will accept and pass that number along.