Caller ID spoofing is a deceptive practice where scammers or malicious actors disguise their phone number as someone else's, often mimicking a trusted source or a local number. This can lead to confusion, unwanted callbacks, or even fraud. Many people experience this problem when they start receiving calls from others claiming they’ve missed a call from your number, even though you never placed the call.

What is Caller ID Spoofing?

Caller ID spoofing involves altering the information transmitted to a call recipient’s caller ID display to make it appear as though the call is coming from someone else. Scammers use this technique for various reasons, including:

• Scam and fraud attempts: By making their number appear as a legitimate or trusted one, they can try to trick people into sharing personal information.
• Telemarketing: Some businesses use spoofing to disguise their number to avoid being blocked.
• Mischief or harassment: Sometimes spoofing is done just to cause confusion or trouble.

Unfortunately, there is no way to completely stop someone from spoofing your number. However, there are several steps you can take to mitigate the problem.

What You Can Do About It

Here are some steps you can take if you are affected by caller ID spoofing:

1. Notify Your Phone Carrier

Contact your phone carrier and inform them that your number is being spoofed. Some carriers have services to block or warn users about fraudulent calls.

2. Enable STIR/SHAKEN

Ask your carrier about enabling STIR/SHAKEN protocols. These protocols help verify that a call’s origin is legitimate. Major phone carriers are implementing these standards to reduce the risk of caller ID spoofing.

3. Report the Incident

Report the spoofing incident to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) or other relevant regulatory authorities. The FCC is working on combating caller ID spoofing and might use your information for enforcement actions.

4. Set Up a Voicemail Message

Consider temporarily updating your voicemail message to explain the situation to those who call back, thinking you called them. Here's a sample message:

"Hi, you’ve reached [Your Name]. If you are calling because you received a missed call from this number, please note that my phone number has been spoofed by scammers. I apologize for the inconvenience, and I assure you that I did not make the call. Thank you."

5. Use a Call Blocking App

Install a reputable call-blocking app such as Hiya or Truecaller. These apps can help identify and block scam calls, reducing the impact of spoofing.

6. Monitor Your Accounts

While caller ID spoofing is generally unrelated to hacking, it's a good idea to monitor your phone and other accounts for any unusual activity, just to be safe.

7. Set Do Not Disturb (DND) Mode on Your Phone

If the issue persists, you can set your phone to Do Not Disturb (DND) mode, allowing only calls from your contacts. This way, you will avoid being bombarded with calls from people who think you called them. Here’s how you can enable DND mode on iPhone:

• Go to Settings > Do Not Disturb.
• Turn on Do Not Disturb.
• Under the Allow Calls From section, select Contacts Only.

8. Wait It Out

In some cases, caller ID spoofing might die down after a while. If you’ve already set up a voicemail message and enabled Do Not Disturb, you might consider waiting for a week or so to see if the spoofing activity subsides.

Savoy's Approach

One effective approach you can take is similar to what Savoy did when they experienced caller ID spoofing. They set up a voicemail explaining the situation to those who called back, apologizing for any inconvenience, and informing them that they did not make the call. Additionally, they put their phone on Do Not Disturb (DND) mode, allowing only calls from their contacts to come through. After implementing these measures, they planned to wait it out for a week to see if the spoofing issue dies down. By following these steps, you can reduce the impact of caller ID spoofing and hopefully see the fraudulent activity subside.