Most Common Reasons Why Caller Id Spoofing is Used

Though there may be times when caller ID spoofing is harmless, those using it often know that you will not pick up the phone if you knew the true origin of the call. This is not something that everyone will have to deal with, but the practice is more common than you may think. There are many reasons why someone would choose to use caller ID spoofing when calling your home, and these are all things that any consumer should know about for their own protection and privacy.

One of the most harmless uses of caller ID spoofing is by collection agencies. These are people who do have legitimate business with you, but they may not have had any success in contacting you. Most do not use call spoofing, but some of them do. The number they use will vary, but the result is all the same. They want to get you to answer the phone, and will try to accomplish this by pretending to be someone else.

Another reason caller ID spoofing is used can be on the iffy side. Some law enforcement may use this, along with private investigators, to get someone to answer a call. This is not common, but it has been done. When someone does not wish to be found, they will not answer the phone for just any number. Some will use caller ID spoofing by using a number that would feel safe to the target to get them to pick up. This may not get someone to talk, but it can confirm a number and even a location.

Most troublesome would be the use of caller ID spoofing to steal identity or to harass someone. If someone has some information on you, but needs more to get credit in your name, they may use pretext to call your friends and family in the hopes that they will get them to say what the thief needs to know. They can use the caller ID spoof to make your loved ones believe the call is coming from someone they trust or from a legitimate company. Along the same lines, this same thing is used in conjunction with scams to get you to sign up for an offer or service that you would naturally assume is coming from a company that you trust.

Though you can find the owner of a phone number here, this may not always get you what you need. It doesn’t hurt to try though. Any information you can get will be helpful if you are the victim of fraud or identity theft. When in doubt about any number calling your home, even if the number is something familiar, let your answering machine do the screening for you. Those with real and legitimate business with you will often leave a message. Those that do not may have something to hide.