Spoofing

[ShaunaS]

So today I received 10 different calls from numbers all starting with (403)397 starting at 7am until 3:30pm.  If I run a reverse number search they are all cellphone numbers operated by Fido.

I didn't answer any of them,  but later (blocking my number just in case) called them all back. Most gave me the "this customer is unavailable" message, but went through to actual people/businesses. 

I contacted 3 that were actual people,  asked them if they called me,  none of them had. I told them their number might be being used in spoofing. One of them told me her son had this issue a few weeks ago.  They were all lovely people,  all apologized for something that wasn't their fault,  and all thankful for the information about spoofing.

The last number that had an actual vm, went to a human resources dept at a business.  I left a message and my text now number (just in case). But that's as far as I've gotten with that.

That leaves 6 other Fido numbers that are pretty clearly being spoofed.   And for me (a fido customer of 6 years) to get 10 seperate calls from 10 seperate fido numbers in one day... and being two days after I called and made changes to both of my fido numbers ( currently don't have a sim card for the other number so unsure if it's being affected).. seems very, very abnormal.  

I feel like it's definitely something that should be taken seriously and be getting looked into.... especially when it's all Fido numbers, starts to look like a data leak of sorts. Those numbers are way above normal.

And just for info and reference; After the call I made to Fido at 5:13 on the 27th, there was one missed call from a recognized number at 8:57 same day, then on the 28th I missed a call (again from a recognized number) and I made one call at 6:34pm to a number in my contact list. Then today 10 of 13 incoming calls were spoofs using fido numbers starting  with (403)397 (the

other 2 numbers were recognized).  All Of the outgoing calls except 3 were calling those numbers back. 

There's got to be something that can be done if this many Fido customers are being affected by spoofing ( There are 4 legitimate customers that had their numbers used just against me today and a possibility of 10 and those are only 397 customers).

I had this happen to me years ago when someone or some company was using my number and I was getting very angry calls from people who thought I was calling... this was when spoofing was brand new,  Fido hadn't even heard the term. I had to change my number.

Isn't there anything that can be done? Why can a phone company not be able to see where those calls originated or is there not a data base we coyote be building or using?

Just looking for solutions...I'd rather not have to block legitimate people(that I actually may need to contact one day you never know) and I'm sure people would rather not have to change their numbers as the only solution if their numbers being used in this manner.

I know I don't want to have to change mine again if I stay receiving 10+ spoofed numbers a day all coming from my provider.

[Cawtau · Accepted solution]

Hello ShaunaS,

   Welcome to the community!

  I think everyone is rather fed up about getting SPAM and SCAM calls from spoofed numbers. Unfortunately, there currently isn't much that any of the mobile providers can do to prevent them. It's a Worldwide problem with no simple solution. Since the spammers/scammers use spoofed numbers, it is not possible to identify the true spammers' number. As you are aware, the numbers shown on caller ID do not belong to the spammers. They often belong to innocent, unsuspecting people like yourself. Unfortunately, there isn't much that can be done to prevent numbers from being spoofed. In some instances, the spammers/scammers will use the recipients' own phone numbers to make the calls. Even the RCMP are not immune to being spoofed (see here). 

  With regards to security, it's very unlikely they have access to your account or information. It's also very unlikely they breached any of Fido or Rogers' databases. The spammers/scammers will tend to spoof phone numbers within their target range to make potential victims think the calls are coming from people they might know. As explained in another post, it's actually rather simple to target customers from a particular provider. All they need is to choose an area code and prefix for their chosen target and sequentially dial those numbers from 0000 to 9999. Since the calls appear to come from similar numbers,  it's called Neighbour spoofing (see here). In some instances, the spammers/scammers will use the recipients' own phone numbers to make the calls, called mirroring.

  The mobile providers have implemented Universal Call Blocking which is meant to block calls from malformed phone numbers. That said, I'm doubtful whether it will have much of an effect on the amount of SPAM or SCAM calls since many of them appear to have properly formed phone numbers. In addition, a new technology, STIR/SHAKEN (Secure Telephone Identity Revisited/Signature-based Handling of Asserted Information Using Tokens) is being adopted to further reduce the amount of nuisance calls (see here). However, I have my doubts as to whether those measures will reduce the amount of SPAM calls. My understanding is the STIR/SHAKEN will only identify possible SPAM calls and mark the calls as suspected SPAM.

 Unfortunately, until the technology to unmask the true number of spammers/scammers is readily available (not simply the number shown on the caller ID), the only solution currently is to block the numbers on your phone. You should note that blocking the calls only prevents the calls from ringing your phone. It does not prevent the callers from leaving voicemail. There are (at least were) some apps which claimed to also prevent callers from leaving voicemail. They worked by answering and almost simultaneously ending the calls. While those apps do prevent calls from going to voicemail, the calls are also considered 'answered' and therefore count as airtime.

Hope this helps 😀

Cheers