Somebody spoofed my number

[AlexRtmn]

I just received a call from somebody who received a call from my number. They said it is a call from duct cleaning.

[geebee747]

We (Mrs&me) just let the answering machine take ALL the calls. If the Kids are going to call then they text us ahead of time. And friends, etc., know we will return their call soon. Most of time, at least.

It’s likely not good to get nasty with the poor souls who do robo-calling as it likely gets your number entered on an A-list for ‘live numbers’. That would increase the random calls, almost for sure.

Sucks that the CRTC, FCC, etc. and the big tel-networks don’t put any effort into stopping this nonsense. Heard a high percentage, like 30% of the traffic is the scammers! Disgusting!

[Anonymous]

 @Korth : iirc some places completely block. The MIL doesn't pay for (or have) voicemail and has a machine. It's a straight block of unknown callers. Doesn't drop to voicemail.

[Korth]

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@Anonymous wrote:

I find it astounding that any entity open to the public would block any callers. I leave my phone set to hide my number. If I just have to contact someone (MIL 🙂) then I unhide and then re-hide. I go to a competitor if available if some business blocks my call.

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Celebrities, politicians, and other "important" figures do the same thing as doctors.

Leave a message with their office, secretary, receptionist, agent, or proxy. Otherwise don't call them, they'll call you. Keep your phone ready to receive the call at their convenience or you'll somehow be penalized for wasting their time.

[Anonymous]

 @Korth et al: I find it astounding that any entity open to the public would block any callers. I leave my phone set to hide my number. If I just have to contact someone (MIL 🙂 ) then I unhide and then re-hide. I go to a competitor if available if some business blocks my call.

[Korth]

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@Meow wrote:
As caller IDs go, I really do not understand why some medical offices block their number (showing as anonymous). What if your phone is set to reject anonymous calls??? Kind of dumb decision...

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Hospitals often have their own switchboards and operators, basically a sort of reception and paging service. Other doctors and medical professionals invariably subscribe to an outsourced answering service.

In some places this is actually a required license condition of their residency, fellowship, or medical practice. They must have a way to be contacted in emergencies during working hours. Or to be informed and summoned during a crisis. And they need a way to contact their clients/patients or each other.

But they don't like intrusions on their private time, personal and business contacts are kept separate, unless they personally invite you into their personal lives.

And they don't like increasing their workload, especially when doing so provides no compensation for their time.

And this arrangement deliberately maintains a certain psychology which establishes authority, relationship, and formal distance between doctor and patient. If nothing else, it filters away trivial patient issues by forcing serious patient issues to seek direct attention through other channels.

https://iplum.com/blog/how-a-physician-calls-patients-while-keeping-his-cell-phone-number-private/

https://www.telemedinc.com/

https://www.physiciancallservice.com/

[Yummy]

Few different ways to fight annoying callers:

- Do not answer at all if you do not recognize number. If it is legitimate caller, it will leave vmail.

- Answer the phone and hang up right away

- Answer the phone and leave line open until other party terminates the call. This is kind of mean and other party can retaliate calling you with spoofed numbers more often or at unusual hours.

[Meow]

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@BlueB wrote:

actually a company, then they would want their own number displayed for good business purposes.  For fraud, that same number would likely be used many times over (ie. you'd get more than 1 callback).  At this point, it's possible the person misdialed your number to complain back to you.  In other words, I wouldn't worry about this

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Most of the time those spoof-ers are 'legitimate' business providing services you do not need nor want.

If they would allow actual number to be shown on your phone, then you would easily block it; this way (spoofing) every time you see different - local number and tend to answer the call.

As caller IDs go, I really do not understand why some medical offices block their number (showing as anonymous). What if your phone is set to reject anonymous calls??? Kind of dumb decision...

[Korth]

All this "high-tech" spoofing and robocalling and such avoids another increasingly common reason these calls occur:

The caller correctly dialed the wrong number.

Because an advertisement or directory or online search had this number listed under "commercial duct cleaning". It's quite possible that the number was actually used for this purpose by a previous owner. It's always possible that the number was somehow confused or transposed by an old transcription error.

[BlueB]

This has happened to me too @AlexRtmn, and believe it or not, isn't hard to do (unfortunately) especially with VoIP (internet phones) these days.  After setting up their service, they enter whatever Name and Number they want and it will appear on CallerID.

The strange thing about this, is that you only received 1 callback.  If you think about this - if it's actually a company, then they would want their own number displayed for good business purposes.  For fraud, that same number would likely be used many times over (ie. you'd get more than 1 callback).  At this point, it's possible the person misdialed your number to complain back to you.  In other words, I wouldn't worry about this!

A fun story about this - friends of mine live in farm country, and when they received a call for "Duck Cleaning," they replied that there were actually cows and horses and not ducks to clean.  Somehow, the callers weren't amuse... go figure!  😂

[RosieR]

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@AlexRtmn wrote:

I just received a call from somebody who received a call from my number. They said it is a call from duct cleaning.

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Hi @AlexRtmn it could be that the telemarketer left the wrong number.  Too bad you are not in the duct cleaning business, as the person who called you could possibly be a customer. 😁

Just ignore.  Happens

Have a great week ahead

RosieR

[zw00m]

Sometimes I answer, then immediately mute my end and put them on speaker. The idea is to tie up their infrastructure for some time.

[KitharaC]

I do know some mobile device such as iPhone have an option that you can select to silence unknow numbers that may not be programed in your phone. Perhaps this is an option to prevent hearing spoofed calls?

[Pawprints1986]

Spoofers probably hate me when they try to call me.. I won't pick up even if looks local unless I know exactly who it is lol. Their tricks don't work on me, unless they effectually spoof exactly a contact of mines number and then calls me with it, but I'm guessing that's extremely rare odds

[computergeek541]

@AlexRtmn 

One thing that these callers like to do is to pick an area code and same 3 digits after the area code to make people think that some known is calling. For me at least, a similar phone number to mine makes me not answer.

If you don't mind changing your phone number, you could do that, but you won't  be able to get your current phone number back at a later time. There's also no guarantee that number won't be used by them as well.

[softech]

@AlexRtmn  no worry, this is a very common thing these days...it's just some Robocalls.. they can "make up" numbers

Basically, when they call something (123)-456-7890, they make up any random number starts with (123)-456-xxxx and fool people to believe this is a real call and pickup.  they need to do this cos we are all smart now to not answer any 1-800 numbers

[HALIMACS]

@AlexRtmn 

That's certainly sucks and happens to most people from time to time.

Only would have been helpful if you are in the duct cleaning business, I suppose...  😉

[dabr · Accepted solution]

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@AlexRtmn wrote:

I just received a call from somebody who received a call from my number. They said it is a call from duct cleaning.

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@AlexRtmn   Most of us had our number spoofed one time or another...sorry not much you can do about that other than inform the other party who got your spoofed call that it wasn't you.