Someone seems to be using my number

[jeromefoo]

I joined public mobile at the end of 2018, but in the last 3 months, I have been getting a number of calls or messages at my number. I had thought that someone might be mistakenly giving the wrong number out, but in the last week, this has changed. 

I got a call back saying that I (someone with my number) had just called and that they were returning the call. Of course it was not me and I checked the phone log to make sure that I hadn't somehow accidentally dialed; I hadn't and wasn't even near the phone at the time. However, my name is registered to the account so my ID would show up on call display. This would make it seem like someone actually is somehow using my number independently. 

Is there something that can be done about this? It is really concerning that someone is using my number and I would really like it to stop as soon as possible!

[jeromefoo]

Hi everyone! 

Well, there isn't really an update to give (I never heard back from a mod), but the good news is I guess is that the number of occurences has decreased in the last few months. Hopefully the spoofers, if that was what it was, have moved on! 

[krazykiwi]

Sounds like spoofing to me to. I once got a call from my own number on that same phone...very weird to say the least when you are not aware of spoofing.

Also, it took me almost a year after getting my current number to update all the businesses that the previous owner no longer as this number. It included a lot of bill collectors and even some hospital appointments months after I had the number. At first I was going to change number but thought that I may just end up with the same situation so I decided to prevailed. It involved answering many unknown numbers and painstaking insisting that that person no longer has this number. Not sure if any of this applies to you but eventually I got a bill collector to take my number off the list and in my case it as been a few years since I have received any of those types of calls.

[YVR]

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@jeromefoo wrote:

I joined public mobile at the end of 2018, but in the last 3 months, I have been getting a number of calls or messages at my number. I had thought that someone might be mistakenly giving the wrong number out, but in the last week, this has changed. 

I got a call back saying that I (someone with my number) had just called and that they were returning the call. Of course it was not me and I checked the phone log to make sure that I hadn't somehow accidentally dialed; I hadn't and wasn't even near the phone at the time. However, my name is registered to the account so my ID would show up on call display. This would make it seem like someone actually is somehow using my number independently. 

Is there something that can be done about this? It is really concerning that someone is using my number and I would really like it to stop as soon as possible!

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Telemarketers or scammers use this technique called spoofing.  Have a look at this CRTC article about it and what you can do.  

https://crtc.gc.ca/eng/phone/telemarketing/identit.htm

I am not sure that they would have your name details show up on the other persons caller id.  Likely would only be your number.  

[goldilock]

@jeromefoo  It can take aproximately 48 hours (or longer in some cases) to receive a reply from a moderator so please be patient. Keep us posted on their reply. I would like to know since it happened to me a while ago, on different occasions (when I was with Bell) and it's sort of freaky to see your own phone number on your caller id calling you! 

[jeromefoo]

Thanks for quick replies all. I have sent a message to the moderator team, hopefully they can check things out and it is not 'spoofing'. I will update the results of my inquiry here... thanks again! 

[geopublic]

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@jeromefoo wrote:

Thanks to all who responded so quickly. So, if it is spoofing, then there is nothing at all that can be done? Seems like not a good situation (T_T). 

Some of the calls I received earlier were from a medical clinic confirming an appointment, so I was hoping that it was just an issue with the number...

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@jeromefoo There have been some cases where a provider incorrectly assigns a number to a subscriber that already is in use. To eliminate this possibility best to notify PM.

[GinYVR]

@jeromefooAs long as they are not infringing on Public Mobile's service there is nothing Public can do. However if they are making appointments in your name, they could be assuming your identity. Things like putting a credit watch or other methods to protect your personal information would be recommended.

[jeromefoo]

Thanks to all who responded so quickly. So, if it is spoofing, then there is nothing at all that can be done? Seems like not a good situation (T_T). 

Some of the calls I received earlier were from a medical clinic confirming an appointment, so I was hoping that it was just an issue with the number...

[goldilock]

@jeromefoo Yes, it sounds like spoofing and there really isn't much you can do about it.  No one else has your phone number but on the caller id, it appears as your number. 

Caller ID spoofing is a service that allows a caller to masquerade as someone else by falsifying the number that appears on the recipient's caller ID display that is other than their actual number. A lot of scam calls do this, they originate from another country but with spoofing it tricks people to think that it is a local call or a call within Canada. 

[geopublic · Accepted solution]

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@jeromefoo wrote:

I joined public mobile at the end of 2018, but in the last 3 months, I have been getting a number of calls or messages at my number. I had thought that someone might be mistakenly giving the wrong number out, but in the last week, this has changed. 

I got a call back saying that I (someone with my number) had just called and that they were returning the call. Of course it was not me and I checked the phone log to make sure that I hadn't somehow accidentally dialed; I hadn't and wasn't even near the phone at the time. However, my name is registered to the account so my ID would show up on call display. This would make it seem like someone actually is somehow using my number independently. 

Is there something that can be done about this? It is really concerning that someone is using my number and I would really like it to stop as soon as possible!

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@jeromefoo Spoofing is a possibility but also a good idea to run it by the PM moderator team to verify no issues with your number.

To contact Public Mobile click here. The link  sends you to the private message function and adds the moderator team as recipient for a private message. You just have to enter a title and text in the body of the message describing the problem and post. The message will be received by the moderator team and they will respond to it. You will receive the response in your private message inbox.

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[GinYVR]

@jeromefooA 3rd party can be spoofing your number independently from Public Mobile. There isn't much you can do as long as they are not using your service.