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Ask HN: How can scam callers fake a mobile phone number?

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Re: Ask HN: How can scam callers fake a mobile phone number?

#61

Post by bluGill »

noneeeed wrote: post #45
smeej wrote: post #16

Hoping this is something that doesn't need to be said here, but just in case: This is why you should NEVER provide personal information over the phone if you didn't initiate the call. It doesn't matter if your caller ID says it's your doctor's office or your bank or whatever. Hang up and call them back at the number you normally use to reach them, from their website or the back of your credit/debit card for example.…

Also, if you were rung on a landline, ring back on your mobile. I'm not sure if it's always the case, but I believe that a call to a landline only terminates when the caller hangs up. This certainly used to be the case. This allows scammers to ask you to hang up and call them back on the number on your card (for example), but they just mimic the dial-tone and ring, then they have another scammer answer the phone. Thi…

That depends on where you live. Some areas never had it. Some had it but got rid of it, some still have it. Check with your local phone company is the only way to know what currently applies - though they can change the rules anytime as this is just a setting in their switches (they may or may not also have legal oversight here, again depending on where you live).

Or of course as you said, always call back from mobile.

Re: Ask HN: How can scam callers fake a mobile phone number?

#62

Post by adonovan »

ceejayoz wrote: post #48
grendelt wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This. A while ago, my wife got a call from a collections agency on my phone. They asked for her name, I asked "which one?" She said "I can only talk to ____." I said, "I understand but which one would are you looking for the older or younger?" "I can't share that information." "Then I can't put you in touch with who you're looking for if you can't tell me who you're looking for." "I can only speak with ____." I said…

> No, that's the public portion of a social security number. It really isn't.

Regardless of original intent, at this point, it really is.

Re: Ask HN: How can scam callers fake a mobile phone number?

#63

Post by xwdv »

localhost wrote: post #24
smeej wrote: post #16

Hoping this is something that doesn't need to be said here, but just in case: This is why you should NEVER provide personal information over the phone if you didn't initiate the call. It doesn't matter if your caller ID says it's your doctor's office or your bank or whatever. Hang up and call them back at the number you normally use to reach them, from their website or the back of your credit/debit card for example.…

I remember many years ago getting a random phone call from someone who claimed they were a detective investigating a case. The detective sensed my skepticism right away over the phone and suggested that I look up the phone number for his police department, and to ask for badge number ZZZ when I call. I called back, everything was above board, they came and interviewed me (they wanted to see if I still had something i…

All this could be faked, this could have been an elaborate scam.

Re: Ask HN: How can scam callers fake a mobile phone number?

#64

Post by xwdv »

alx__ wrote: post #56
noneeeed wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Also, if you were rung on a landline, ring back on your mobile. I'm not sure if it's always the case, but I believe that a call to a landline only terminates when the caller hangs up. This certainly used to be the case. This allows scammers to ask you to hang up and call them back on the number on your card (for example), but they just mimic the dial-tone and ring, then they have another scammer answer the phone. Thi…

Ah yeah I remember that trick. If you didn't hang up after talking to a friend, you'd could "haunt the line". Works best if someone is waiting to use the only phone in the house. Which is a phrase you don't hear that often :D

Ah, a ghost in the wire.

Re: Ask HN: How can scam callers fake a mobile phone number?

#65

Post by ravenstine »

hungryforcodes wrote: post #52

Just never answer the phone. If they really want to talk to you -- they'll find another way.

Or they'll leave a message.

The real answer to the problem is to deprecate the legacy telephone system. It will never be as secure or user-configurable as just about any modern implementation of voice/video over IP.

Re: Ask HN: How can scam callers fake a mobile phone number?

#66

Post by weaksauce »

jontas wrote: post #34
smeej wrote: post #16

Hoping this is something that doesn't need to be said here, but just in case: This is why you should NEVER provide personal information over the phone if you didn't initiate the call. It doesn't matter if your caller ID says it's your doctor's office or your bank or whatever. Hang up and call them back at the number you normally use to reach them, from their website or the back of your credit/debit card for example.…

It can even be a problem if you do initiate the call. My mom got taken in by a scam where she googled "American Express phone number" and a scammer's website or paid ad (she isn't sure which it was) was showing at the top of the results with the wrong number.

that's why you only call the number on the back of your card if you can help it. and double check that you entered it correctly

Re: Ask HN: How can scam callers fake a mobile phone number?

#67

Post by edmundsauto »

soco wrote: post #47
jontas wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It can even be a problem if you do initiate the call. My mom got taken in by a scam where she googled "American Express phone number" and a scammer's website or paid ad (she isn't sure which it was) was showing at the top of the results with the wrong number.

Yet another example of the often discussed "Google search results infestation"...

Also possible if they gave malware on the computer, and it modifies search results in the browser. That’s always seemed like a serious vector although I haven’t heard much in the way of in the wild exploits.

Re: Ask HN: How can scam callers fake a mobile phone number?

#68

Post by [deleted] »

xwdv wrote: post #63
localhost wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I remember many years ago getting a random phone call from someone who claimed they were a detective investigating a case. The detective sensed my skepticism right away over the phone and suggested that I look up the phone number for his police department, and to ask for badge number ZZZ when I call. I called back, everything was above board, they came and interviewed me (they wanted to see if I still had something i…

All this could be faked, this could have been an elaborate scam.

[deleted]

Re: Ask HN: How can scam callers fake a mobile phone number?

#69

Post by bufferoverflow »

downrightmike wrote: post #7

Caller id is just a user settable field. There are two numbers, ANI which is how telcos are supposed to keep track of who to charge. NO one uses it, because users don't like it. And caller id is sent out on the second ring, but again, user can set that to anything. Corps have to adhere to the TCPA, others don't and SIP calls are cheap and globally routable. https://www.fcc.gov/sites/default/files/tcpa-rules.pdf

That's a ridiculous system design.

Re: Ask HN: How can scam callers fake a mobile phone number?

#70

Post by xwdv »

ceejayoz wrote: post #48
grendelt wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This. A while ago, my wife got a call from a collections agency on my phone. They asked for her name, I asked "which one?" She said "I can only talk to ____." I said, "I understand but which one would are you looking for the older or younger?" "I can't share that information." "Then I can't put you in touch with who you're looking for if you can't tell me who you're looking for." "I can only speak with ____." I said…

> No, that's the public portion of a social security number. It really isn't.

It is, and you must set aside your personal feelings and treat it as public info.

If people think these digits are like some secret password, they will be treated as such and used to gatekeep access to even more restricted info and accounts. Which would be a disaster because many people have had these last four digits exposed over time. Knowing them does not prove identity.

They are public.

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