Spoofing is relatively easy to do by individuals and companies which means that you can’t always trust what the caller ID says when the phone call is received. Often a reverse caller ID check will simply redial the number displayed by the spoofing, not the actual number behind the call.
How to Tell If a Phone Number Is Spoofed
While there’s no completely accurate way to detect a spoofed number, there are several techniques which can help you get a fairly good idea about what’s going on and may help you catch a spoofer or scammer in their tracks.
How to Uncover a Spoofed Number
Unfortunately, there’s no easy way to uncover a spoofed number as the technology makes it too easy for people to do without leaving a trail. It may be possible to track down a spoofer by convincing a phone carrier and law enforcement to begin an investigation but this can be incredibly time consuming and still isn’t guaranteed to get the result you require. If you happen to be talking to someone who’s using phone spoofing for legitimate business reasons, you are completely in your rights to ask them if the number showing in the caller ID is in fact the number they’re calling from. Most professionals would be completely fine with disclosing the fact that they’re calling from a different number even if they may not want to disclose what number that is for their own personal security reasons. Some might actually prefer to give you their real number if they need to stay in touch with you.
What to Do When You Get a Spoofed Phone Call
Because it can be almost impossible to discover who’s behind a spoofed call there are several precautions you need to take when getting one.
Are Spoofed Phone Calls Illegal?
Getting a spoofed phone call isn’t always bad or illegal as many professionals and businesses use spoofing technology on a very regular basis for a variety of legit reasons. For example, a company employee may spoof their personal number to display the company’s public contact number when calling a customer. This allows them to maintain some level of personal privacy and can also alert the customer as to who’s calling them if they have caller ID enabled or the company’s number in their contact list or address book. Using phone spoofing in this way is completely legal even though it is technically misleading. Phone spoofing is only illegal in the United States if the caller aims to commit fraud, obtain something of value, or harm an individual. If you’re being the target of a phone scam or harassment via a spoofed number, then the technology is very much being used illegally.
