“Who is this?” “Why did you call me?” “Stop harassing me!!” If you’ve been getting messages like these from people you’ve never contacted, someone might be spoofing your phone number. Read on to learn what to do if your number is spoofed.
What is number spoofing?
Number spoofing is when someone fakes outgoing caller ID info to show a number that isn’t theirs. The spoofed number often belongs to a real person or business, but not to the person using it to call you.
A common strategy is neighbor spoofing, which is when the caller displays a number with your area code so that you’re more likely to pick up. Scammers will even spoof the numbers of legitimate government agencies, banks, and insurance providers to fool people into paying fraudulent fees or revealing sensitive information.