New form of hacking? -- Just got a call from my dh's cellphone, only it was "Credit Card Services"

[Suzanne in ABQ]

This is new to me.

 

My cell phone just rang, showing the caller as my dh (so call originated from his cell number), only it wasn't dh.  It was a recorded message from Credit Card Services, offering me lower interest rates, blah-blah-blah.

 

Has this happened to anyone else?

[Kim in Appalachia]

Yes, I've even had it show my own number.  It's very annoying.  I wish there was a way someone could put a stop to it.  

[Amy in NH]

Mine showed the local elementary school yesterday, and a heating contractor twice last week.  This is a problem with the phone companies allowing them to tamper with the caller ID system.  I called my phone company to complain, and they wrote up a note to send to their fraud division. 

[Guest]

Yup.  I guess it is called spoofing or something.  It's been happening a lot around here...it's especially annoying when they get a number you know you want to answer.  :0/ 

 

I hate talking on the phone, so I generally don't answer if I dont' get a caller ID in my cell phone.  But when they hack someone you KNOW...irritating.

 

[mamiof5]

Has never happened to me. That's wrong, it should be treated and penalized as fraud

[Ethel Mertz]

It's happened to us too. I have certain ring tones assigned to the folks I really would pick up for. Evidently, the scammers haven't figured out how to make it trigger the special ring tone, even though it comes up as a friend's or spouse's number.

[Butter]

It's quite easy to fake the number a call is originating from.  My husband does it all the time for his job (not telemarketing - he works for a government agency).  There's nothing illegal about a telemarketer/scammer faking the caller ID display, but it's certainly questionable ethically.  Then again the scammers obviously don't have ethical issues scamming in the first place...

Edited March 26, 2016 by Butter

[Suzanne in ABQ]

That's spooky/crazy.  I don't like it.  Thanks for responding.  

[SparklyUnicorn]

Not new.  I once got a call and it showed up as a local hospital calling.  It had nothing to do with any hospital.

 

 

[school17777]

I was with my mother today and her cell phone rang while she was driving so I grabbed her cell phone. The number was my step-father's - who passed away a year and a half ago. My mom said she has been getting calls from his number lately. She doessn't answer it because she figures it is spam, but it upsets her seeing his name and number on the display.

[NorthwestMom]

I just yesterday downloaded an app called Whitepages ID that is supposed to tell you when spammers are spoofing a number, and allow you to block it.  So far I like it, but it hasn't had much of a workout yet.

[school17777]

I just yesterday downloaded an app called Whitepages ID that is supposed to tell you when spammers are spoofing a number, and allow you to block it. So far I like it, but it hasn't had much of a workout yet.

 

Do you know if these type of apps work on cell phones that are only used for calling and texting, no data? I could use wifi to download the app.

[NorthwestMom]

Sorry school17777, I have no idea.

 

 

[Rachel]

"Credit Card Services" called me a dozen or so times last week. They kept using my area code, first five digits, and then changing the last two numbers. The last couple days it appeared they were calling from a town in my area code but not near me or where I know people. I've found if I answer and am on the line a second or two, I tend to get a lot of calls for the next couple weeks.

 

The "you have won a cruise" folks do the same thing.

[MysteryJen]

"Credit Card Services" called me a dozen or so times last week. They kept using my area code, first five digits, and then changing the last two numbers. The last couple days it appeared they were calling from a town in my area code but not near me or where I know people. I've found if I answer and am on the line a second or two, I tend to get a lot of calls for the next couple weeks.

 

The "you have won a cruise" folks do the same thing.

Those are autodialers. If you never answer, the calls taper off and disappear. I rarely answer my phone at all anymore.

[Amy in NH]

Those are autodialers. If you never answer, the calls taper off and disappear. I rarely answer my phone at all anymore.

But if they are using a phone number you recognize, like your Dh's cell, you wouldn't know it's an autodialer. If you are already on the do not call list you can report these calls.