Help - Spoof calls??

[AndieW]

I've been gettings dozens and dozens of calls over the last few days of people saying they have missed a call from my phone number. I have not made any calls to these numbers, I even checked my call history to double check. These calls typically come in from about 9 am to 10 pm and they've pretty much rendered my phone unusable. Whenever it is turned on, they come in every few minutes. However, turning it off doesn't stop the problem either - I have messages in my voicemail when I turn it back on, even when it has been off for hours and hours. I believe someone is using my number to "spoof", likely a telemarketer, but my calls to Fido support have been little to no help. They consistently suggest it is a problem with my device, that someone has posted my number on the internet as a joke, or that the calls are from telemarketers, but none of this is true. The only suggestion they have presented me with is changing my phone number, which is something I would like to avoid if at all possible. However, I feel as though my privacy is being violated. I do not like the fact that by this point more than 100 people (and those are only the ones that have called back) have received calls from my phone number. I understand (from my personal research, no thanks to the support from Fido) that this is an issue to do with hacking, but there must be something that Fido can do to prevent this. The online content also says that changing your phone number does not guarantee that the problem will stop. Does anyone have any solutions?? I am feeling very frustrated by the calls and the fact that I need to keep my phone turned off most of the time in order to stop the constant ringing. My family and friends cannot contact me through the service I pay a lot of money for!

[avander]

Hello,

Over the past six months, I've constantly been getting called from numbers which are close to mine.  Lets say my phone number is (403) 804-1111; these calls will come from numbers like (403) 804-2222 or (403) 805-1111.  It's to the point I've gotten 6 calls in the last 24 hours and it's just becomming more and more frequent.  I'm at the point where I'm thinking of cancelling my number because 90% of the calls I get are fake.

If I call one of these numbers back, they always tell me that they didn't make the call and they sound like random people (not a call center somewhere); and if I actually answer it's just dead air for about 6 seconds then they hang up.  It's seldom from the exact same number so I can't block the individual numbers.

How do I make these calls stop?

[FidoNick]

Hey @avander!

I've moved your post to this thread as the issue you're describing is called "number spoofing" and that's exactly what this thread deals with!

Although it's happening in reverse to you than it did with the original poster, the context is the same. The numbers called are chosen at random, and the call display numbers are spoofed so they're also quite random!

That said, check out @KAPABLE-K's solution above, it provides a useful link to learn more!

You can also file a report with the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.

Hope this helps 

[Grace17]

I get calls claiming that they received  a call from my number while I have not make the call.How can that be possible?

[FidoPierre]

Hey  @Grace17

Welcome to the Community, 

I moved your post in this thread here as it relates to the same topic. You can view more information on this in the accepted solution above. I hope this helps clarify things a little.  

[Hesam000]

I also have the same problem since yesterday and it is sad to see Fido can do nothing about it. My concern is that maybe there is a bigger issue such as identity theft that I am not aware of yet!

[FidoManuel]

Hi @Hesam000!

Welcome to the Community!

Rest reassured that your personnal information is safe. As @KAPABLE-K mentionned, anyone can spoof any number, it doesn't involve any hacking or access to your personnal information. You can read more about it HERE.

I've myself experienced that issue at some point, I started ignoring those numbers that I didn't know and in less than a week those calls stopped from happening. I suggest you give it a try.

[KAPABLE-K · Accepted solution]

Hello @AndieW,

Welcome to the community!

Sorry to hear about the problem you are having.

Unfortunately if your number is being spoofed there is nothing Fido can do to stop it because anyone can spoof any number at anytime. I had this issue a couple of times but it sounds like yours is very excessive.

You can get some info regarding caller ID spoofing here.