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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?

#101

Post by mark-r »

matt_heimer wrote: post #31
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.…

So many callers get offended when you try to tell them that you aren't going to give you personal information to some random caller unless they can validate themselves first. And many times their direct call back number (if they have one) isn't the one published to the company website. I get the feeling that most people don't question them.

If someone can't prove who they are, I don't care if I offend them or not.

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

#102

Post by 0des »

abofh wrote: post #55
ceejayoz wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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

Indeed, the first three are dependent on the state that issued your SSN, and the next two often are sequence bits roughly correlating to when it was issued. If anything, those are the public bits

They are not numbered by state anymore

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

#103

Post by pwg »

grendelt wrote: post #37
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.…

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…

> A while ago, my wife got a call from a collections agency on my phone.

I occasionally get calls on my number from a caller asking for my brother.

My standard response has always, from the first time one came in, been: "there is no one at this number by that name".

> You may send a letter, ...

If one /ever/ gets a call from anyone purporting to be a "collections agency" then this ("send a letter") is the /only/ correct response that should ever be given. You may want/need that legal record later.

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

#104

Post by 0des »

marckemil wrote: post #93
mef wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

on iOS, the "Silence Unknown Callers" feature has completely eliminated this for me.

Canadian physician here: yeah, this is hell for us trying to reach patients through the hospital system, which is "unknown" by default. Straight to voicemail and you can't really leave a message. Totally agree though, this problem is very time consuming, if only for the time it takes me to look at my phone and decide not to answer the call - a few seconds of my life each time. My worst day was a few days ago; 7 calls…

Developer here, the cost is more than a few seconds. That call can derail productivity for much longer, like pushing a heavy stone that must gain momentum

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

#105

Post by jcranmer »

0des wrote: post #102
abofh wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Indeed, the first three are dependent on the state that issued your SSN, and the next two often are sequence bits roughly correlating to when it was issued. If anything, those are the public bits

They are not numbered by state anymore

The change was done in 2011, so very likely the geographical-based system applies to anyone fielding collections agency phone calls in the present day.

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

#108

Post by 0des »

jcranmer wrote: post #105
0des wrote: post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They are not numbered by state anymore

The change was done in 2011, so very likely the geographical-based system applies to anyone fielding collections agency phone calls in the present day.

True, I'll give you that

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

#109

Post by mark-r »

I always figured that the ability to set an arbitrary phone number was a feature for the benefit of large corporate PBX systems. Every person at the company gets their own phone number, but the number of physical connections to the phone company is limited. The PBX can set the identity on an outgoing call to match the phone number of the person who initiated the call, no matter which physical line it uses.

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

#110

Post by closeparen »

mark-r wrote: post #109

I always figured that the ability to set an arbitrary phone number was a feature for the benefit of large corporate PBX systems. Every person at the company gets their own phone number, but the number of physical connections to the phone company is limited. The PBX can set the identity on an outgoing call to match the phone number of the person who initiated the call, no matter which physical line it uses.

Worked in business telephony, this is correct.
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