Ok, some weird phone spoofing going on

Here's a general conspiracy which is getting me a little worked up. Just a little...

Last week I got two phone calls from numbers that closely resembled mine except two digits. When I answered, it clicked off so I called back thinking it could be a new customer or something. Here's where it gets weird. A man answered and asked if I had tried calling him and I responded I was calling back because I missed "his" initial call. He responded he didn't call me so I chalked it off as a simple wrong number/pocket dial.

Next day at roughly the same time in the morning I got a second call from a number that resembled mine except off by two digits. Call display showed a name "Trevor E" (last name I left out). I answered and it clicked off. I called back but this time with a few more questions for the person on the other end. Someone answers and I ask, "sorry, did someone call me from this number?" which he responds nope. Then I ask, is your number 778.xxx.xxxx? in which he responds "no, that's not my number". Weird I told him. But it gets stranger. I then asked "well, the name Trevor E" (full last name) showed up on my call display. Is your name Trevor E ?" and he says "No, but I know Trevor E". Huh? I said. You know the name that showed up on my display but the number doesn't belong to you? That's really weird. So I apologize for the inconvenience and hang up thinking it's got to be a glitch or something.

Well, just a few minutes ago it happened again. Phone rang with a number similar to mine but this time I didn't answer. No message left either. This can not be a glitch. It has intelligence written all over it. Now I know I've got a few bill collectors after me but they would need access to the public phone system to spoof like that I would think. And why would the number be similar to mine three times in a row?? That's not a coincidence.

Any ideas?

I have received calls on my home phone that use my actual name and number. Of course, my home phone cannot call itself and found it strange, so I've looked in to it.

In my case, it was a phone bot service that auto-calls people for companies that sell handicap showers, cruise packages and timeshares.

Apparently, caller id's are given the information about whom is being called, not the one making the call.

Perhaps something similar is happening in your case.

a reply to: FlySolo

Pocket/butt dialing is a funny thing... for some reason when I do it normally brings up a web browser.
I remember this once we were at the state fair... next thing I know my wife's back pocket starts saying,
"Hello... Hello... Anyone there?"

Not a clue why your getting similar numbers unless the computers making the connections are somehow dithering to the closest number??? AKA a glitch...

a reply to: FlySolo

This might help Spoofcard

To me it sounds like the goal is to get you curious enough to answer and maybe admit your identity? Like if someone sues you a paralegal might contact you to serve court papers, maybe they are being tricky.

Any business with a PBX system can spoof their numbers, that's how a company with thousands of outgoing lines all ring up from the same base number on your phone caller ID. It sounds to me like a debt collector, or one of their PI's, trying to pin you down to get a good number and time when they can reach you.

a reply to: FlySolo

I have an answering machine tied to my land line, and also caller ID that shows up on my Television set. (eyes are bad, so I can't read the caller ID on my phone)

If I don't know the number OR recognize the name, I don't answer the phone and let my answering machine do it's thing.

For some odd reason, these types of calls HATE getting a machine answering.......

Also, I use this website, Whocalled which you input the number that called you and it has a comment section as to other people who have been called by that number who leave comments as to whether or not it was a spam call or such nonsense.

a reply to: FlySolo

There are quite a few 'call Spoofing' applications out there these days. It is mostly used for pranks so possibly look for people that know you that may do that type of thing. Intelligence does not play those petty games these days as they have better ways of 'playing' with you when they want….

originally posted by: seeker1963
a reply to: FlySolo

I have an answering machine tied to my land line, and also caller ID that shows up on my Television set. (eyes are bad, so I can't read the caller ID on my phone)

If I don't know the number OR recognize the name, I don't answer the phone and let my answering machine do it's thing.

For some odd reason, these types of calls HATE getting a machine answering.......

Also, I use this website, Whocalled which you input the number that called you and it has a comment section as to other people who have been called by that number who leave comments as to whether or not it was a spam call or such nonsense.

LOL... I have the same thing, my tired old eyes love it as well.

I just had a strange experience this morning too, though not exactly the same as yours. My phone rang the caller ID said no name. I answered and recording said 'a representative will be with you shortly.' so naturally, I hung up cursing about spam telemarketers. Immediately, my phone rang again. This time the ID said it was a private number. I answered it and this lady is asking for my daughter. I didn't answer any questions since she rudely was asking too many. I said I could take a message. I wrote down the number and couldn't get much more info out of her. I finally got prince Parker and associates. She kept emphasizing how important it was for my daughter to get ahold of them immediately. Honestly, it all seemed strange them calling me. So I looked online and wouldn't you know that many others have had this scammer call them!

Apparently, they are rude to others and get as much info out of you and intimidate people into giving them their bank and credit numbers. Oh yeah, apparently this ONLY can be done over the phone, for they cannot mail such confidential correspondence! Seriously! Needless, to say, I tossed out the contact info and my daughter will not get their message.

I related this since it does sound like some kind of scam. My aunt though has received a call from her own number and while she has been cautioned it may be some kind of scam...she thinks it is a spirit trying to reach her. My best advice...go with your intuition! If it seems not right...it probably isn't!

a reply to: seeker1963

Yeah I tried the reverse look up to no avail.

This is a clever trick used by the new and improved marketing companies.

These companies have figured out that you aren't likely to answer 1888, or 999 or 800 number phone calls these days. We all have the internet after all.

So instead, they pull numbers from Facebook and other social media websites. Take stuff from Google Maps for example, business listings etc. They then build a database that matches a local number ( sometimes yours) with whatever number they are trying to solicit to.

The result is that you get a call that has your number, or a local number as the caller ID. If you call that number back the other person has no idea they made a call to you, because they didn't. These services are available very cheap, sometimes even free with certain websites.

They use a VOIP service to deliver the content and it often fails to make it's proper connections, so you get dead air or the end of some garbled message.

And there's not much of anything Telecom can do to prevent it.

~Tenth

Ok here's what I think it is.

The first call was somebody else entirely dialing wrong numbers. He tried you, then tried this other guy that you called. That explains the similar digits. Then when you got the call again asking if he was Trevor. It was Trevor, now doing what you had done, trying to see who this is. Of course he denies he is Trevor! I can't recall how the rest of this went, in order, but suffice it to say this Trevor is now suspicious his significant other is cheating! I'm just guessing, here but try piecing this together going on everyone getting the wrong end of the stick. Trevor's partner may have called you by mistake. Trevor would be who's name the phone bill is in.

People dial wrong numbers all the time. Then people check who it was because of cheating spouses.

My wife recently sold her phone to one of her friends, we found out later that her friend had somehow figured out to recieve all of my wifes texts, emails, and apps, even though the phone number had been changed, the sim card was out of it, so WE asked to have the carrier look into it, turns out the carrier had not turned off the old phone registered to my wife, so her friend was getting free phone service and was able to pry into our lives.

My number is very similar to another's in my city. I keep getting calls for them. Apparently they also receive my calls by mistake and had the nerve to bitch about it. Hey I get yours too asshole! One time I was feeling mischievous & said no, he doesn't live here anymore, I kicked Him out. Wonder what they thought of that

You can google the clues and it will show up since his number is listed. If you are that curious.

originally posted by: MarlinGrace
a reply to: FlySolo

This might help Spoofcard

Or possibly my favorite Prank Owl.

You can choose prerecorded messages, make two numbers call each other, spoof your caller ID...it can be lots of fun in times of extreme boredom.

Oh, and the best part is that it lets you record the calls! I have a few good ones saved on my computer...

a reply to: Glassbender777
My daughter got some celebrities old number. They're a rock band from around our area. She got this guys texts. She knew the guy from school and texted back I have his old number, this isn't him.

originally posted by: seeker1963
If I don't know the number OR recognize the name, I don't answer the phone and let my answering machine do it's thing

Same here. If I don't have your number and if I don't know you, then I see no reason why you should be calling me.

WhoCalledUs? has quelled my curiosity and prevented many worries. I had a strange call from a woman with an unidentifiable accent (a TV played in the background), and she asked for me by name. I never bite to such questions and asked what she wanted. She said she worked for Microsoft and claimed that my laptop had sent a message, detailing some sort of problem with my hard drive. Ummhum. She even stated the type and model of laptop. Felt scammy, so I told her that I didn't have a laptop. "You don't have a laptop?" she said, her voice rising. She was indignant, saying that everyone had a computer. Her number, btw, had been X'd out on my Caller ID. (Normally I don't pick up, but I was expecting an important call.) I hung up. She hasn't called back. A Google search revealed that this is a scam, of course--a 'rep' for 'Microsoft' will fix your unbroken laptop for $389. How had she gotten my personal info? I can just imagine.

Bill collectors and telemarketers are getting super shady. It should be illegal for them to use other peoples phone numbers to disguise who they are and their real intention of trying to collect unpaid debt or sell products.

I had to change my phone number because a bank was calling me upwards of 60 times a day for a $50 bill that I was disputing. It made me not want to pay it even more. After I changed my number they started calling my family. Bill collectors are ruthless and are really good at harassing people. It's like they have some office competition at who call call someone the most times in one day, winner gets a bonus.

a reply to Glassbender777

That is super creepy!

Hope you guys cut that "friend" out of your lives! Yikes!