Did somebody spoof my mobile number?

[JP_]

I've just had about 5 calls in quick succession of people claiming that I tried calling them from my number.

Guessing somebody, a cold caller or something, has used my number somehow, but I don't understand how.

What's going on?

 

[Ivor Windybottom]

Caller ID has practically no security, anyone with a little knowledge can pretend to be any number they want.

It may be that they've picked a random number that happens to be yours.

Hopefully they'll move onto another number eventually.

 

[Justin Passing]

An increasingly common scam is to get the "Phoned from" number to match your bank, eg the number on the back of a credit card, or HMRC, BT etc.
So they make calls which you don't get time to answer, then call and say they've been calling from xxx bank, and you say "oh, yes I saw those", and while you're comforted by how clever you were to check the missed calls'numbers, they wind you in.

 

[motorbiking]

Lots of free apps that enable you to change your phone ID. Some phones support it natively, though often the carrier will block this.

Most CRM call out software allows a laptop/desktop to VOIP call from a mobile as these have a better chance of being answered.

Stolen contact books are also rife for this scam.

 

[ReganAndCarter]

Was reading the other day that smart phones are listening to your conversation whenever they're switched on, then targeting ads based on what they've heard. Eg. if you said you would like a holiday in Italy, your phone picks up on this and later you may find ads on your phone for Italian holidays. Apparently it's something to do with apps. When you add one, they recommend turning of the mic function for that app. Should stop any eavesdropping.

The more I hear of so called 'smart' phones, the more I'm glad I kept my ancient Nokia. They seem like a liability as much as an asset. Targetting ads seems relatively innocent, but what else are they monitoring? Big brother!

 

[ETAF]

i believe that applies to any voice activated device -

I know we had everything switched OFF - TV voice and SONOS voice and siri on all phones - but we got adds for a conversation we had with my son.......

i will have to lookup how you actually disable correctly - there has been some articles recently about this .........

As far as i know , the devices are listening all the time and waiting to hear - "Hi Siri", or 'Alexia" etc

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

I've just had about 5 calls in quick succession of people claiming that I tried calling them from my number.

Guessing somebody, a cold caller or something, has used my number somehow, but I don't understand how.

What's going on?

Yep, someone has spoofed your number, it happens..

My landline only gets to ring, if called by known phone numbers, to block all of the unwanted callers - but it still records the number they are presenting as the number they are calling from. Most, will have spoofed their number using an invalid one, some carelessly spoof a genuine number as seems to have happened in your case. You only find out, when people ring you back, to enquire why you rang.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

As far as i know , the devices are listening all the time and waiting to hear - "Hi Siri", or 'Alexia" etc

Alexa listens all the time, for it's name. Only when it hears its name, does it listen and record the rest, which it then refers to the server, for translation into commands. You can delete what it has recorded, at any time.

I've not looked into Siri, I don't use it..