How to Detect Spoofing
By Sandra Remilien
Spoofing is when someone changes the phone number that appears on your Caller ID. Collection companies use spoofing when they cannot contact consumers regarding debt. However, some individuals use spoofing to impersonate others, to harass and create problems. You need to know how to detect spoofing to protect yourself.
How to Detect Spoofing
Listen to your phone line. If you hear people blowing into your cell phone, someone has tapped into your phone line. This is usually the first thing spoofers do: tap your phone.
Monitor your Caller ID. If the person who calls and the number listed on the Caller ID do not match, you've been spoofed.
Listen to the conversation. If the number that appears on the Caller ID shows the name of someone that you regularly talk to, pay attention if the caller is behaving strangely, or asking for private information like your credit card number. Getting your card number is another example of spoofing.
Tips
- Keep a record of your phone bill. This can help you clear your name if you have problems as a result of a spoofed call.
Warnings
- Spoofing is not illegal. Change your phone number if you just had a divorce or end a relationship and have reason to believe that the person will retaliate against you.
Writer Bio
Sandra Remilien has been writing since 2005. She has written for Sunbeam Television Corp. and "The Miami Herald" and is interested in magazine publishing. A native of Miami, Fla., Remilien earned a Master of Science in journalism from Columbia University.