What is caller ID spoofing?
Some of us may have faced caller id spoofing. It may look like a number you know or it could be just an unknown number when you answer the phone. Such callers usually pretend to be a government agency or even some support team asking for payment. This is caller spoofing and you need to stop it.
Why is spoofing so common?
In the last few years, the internet has become an important platform to send digital voice signals. According to Hiya, a company that provides anti-spam phone solutions, spam calls increased to 54.6 billion in 2019, a 108% increase compared to 2018. Typically, robocalls use a computerized auto-dialer to deliver pre-recorded messages so, scammers and marketers can make more calls than a human being could. They often employ tricks like making calls appear to come from the recipient’s area. This trick makes the recipient believe that that the call is from a local friend or business.
Why is spoofing dangerous?
In most cases, scammers use spoofing to trick people to give away their personal information or money, or both. They pretend to be calling from a charity, bank, or even a contest offering a phony prize. Such scammers usually target older people who are not aware of such scams. That said, there are also “SMiSHing” attacks which are nothing but phishing via text message. In this type of attack, you may receive a message that appears to come from a reputed company or person encouraging you to click on a link. However, when you click on the link, it will download malware into your device and sign you up for a premium service or even steal the credentials of your online accounts.
How to stop caller id spoofing my number?
To cut back on spoof calls, you need to check if your phone carrier has an app or service that helps you identify and filter such calls.
Send the number to the voicemail
Sending the unknown number to the voicemail box can help you screen your calls. If it is important, they will leave a message so that you can call them back.
Report fraudulent calls
Reporting fraudulent numbers can help government agencies to take action when they receive many complaints against the same number.
Install a call blocking app
By installing a call blocking app, you can reduce spam calls not only from scammers but also from telemarketers and insurance companies. Additionally, these apps come with unique filters that can help you control the number of calls you receive per day.
Create a contact list
If you have a contact list of numbers with their names, you can see who is calling you. Trying to remember every person’s number can make it difficult to track the numbers you recognize and which ones you don’t.
Join the DO NOT CALL Registry.
By joining the DO NOT CALL registry you can avoid receiving spoofing calls. While this may not protect you from all the unknown spam calls you receive, it will notify legitimate telemarketers that you are not interested. You can even add your home number and mobile number and avoid getting unwanted calls.
