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https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-telecoms-and-internet/advice-for-consumers/scams/phone-spoof-scam
Submission: On July 12 via api from DE — Scanned from GB
Submission: On July 12 via api from DE — Scanned from GB
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THIS WEBSITE USES COOKIES TO STORE INFORMATION ON YOUR DEVICE. Some are necessary to make the site work. Others are optional, and help us understand how people interact with our website and content so that we can make them better. Using this tool will set a cookie to remember your preferences. You can update them by clicking on the cookie control icon in the bottom corner. For more information on the cookies we use, see our cookies policy. The two buttons that follow allow you to accept all cookies and close the tool, or reject all optional cookies and close the tool. If you would like more details on our necessary cookies or would like to choose your optional cookies then the following sections detail how to do this. Accept Recommended SettingsReject optional cookies and close -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NECESSARY COOKIES These make our website work as it should. You can disable them via your browser settings, but this may prevent certain functionality from working. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- OPTIONAL - PERFORMANCE COOKIES These help us understand how people use our website, which helps us improve it. Optional - Performance cookiesOnOff -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- OPTIONAL - MARKETING COOKIES These allow us to deliver and measure the performance of our communications through other channels. We use online advertising to help consumers get the best from their phone and broadband services. Marketing cookies enable us to target advertising on third party websites and services towards groups of people who have previously visited our website, based on their demographics or content interests. Optional - Marketing cookiesOnOff -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Save and close Cookie Control Skip to main content Menu Cymraeg Search Your pages (0) * No pages added What is 'Your pages'? Close search bar Search site Submit Search Cymraeg * Home * Complaints * Make a complaint * Complain about mobile, phone or internet services * Complain about TV, radio or on demand services * Complain about postal services * Complain about wireless interference * Complain about a video-sharing platform (VSP) * Complain about something else * News centre * Latest news * Find older news stories * Find other speeches * Contact the Ofcom Media Office * About Ofcom * About Ofcom * What is Ofcom? * How Ofcom is run * News and updates * Jobs * International work * Contacting Ofcom * Policies and guidelines * Accessibility and diversity * Annual reports and plans * Freedom of Information and Data Protection * Supplying Ofcom * About this website * Copyright and information re-use * Online safety * Online safety * Advice for consumers * Information for industry * Phones and internet * Phones, telecoms and internet * Advice for consumers * Information for industry * Coverage * TV, radio and on-demand * TV, radio and on-demand * Advice for consumers * Information for industry * TV and radio broadcasting codes * Post * Postal services * Advice for consumers * Information for the postal industry * Spectrum * Spectrum * Spectrum management * Protecting and managing the airwaves * Radio spectrum and the law * Spectrum information * Consultations * Consultations and statements * Consultation response coversheet * Ofcom's approach to impact assessment * Ofcom's consultation principles * Ofcom's responses to external consultations and reports * Research * Research and data * Search all research and data * Multi-sector * TV, radio and on-demand research * Telecoms research * Making Sense of Media * Internet research * Postal services research and data * Technology research * Data * Ofcom’s research and data collection programme * The communications sector at a glance * Economics insights and discussion papers * Licences * Manage your licence * TV broadcast licences * Radiocommunications licences * Radio broadcast licences * Buy a licence for watching TV * Online post-issue registration * SPECTRAsc * Electromagnetic fields (EMF) * Your pages * No pages added 1. Home 2. Phones and internet 3. Advice for consumers 4. Scam calls and messages 5. Number spoofing scams NUMBER SPOOFING SCAMS Add to Your Pages -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- There has been a recent increase in reports of ‘number spoofing’. This is when scammers change their caller ID to disguise their identity from the person they are calling. Many phone handsets now let you see the number of the person calling before you answer. This feature – known as 'Caller ID' or 'Calling Line Identity' (CLI) – is a handy way of screening the calls you want to answer from the ones you don't. However, there have been growing instances of nuisance callers and criminals deliberately changing the Caller ID, a practice known as 'spoofing'. WHY DO THEY DO THIS? Sometimes there's a good reason for a caller to modify the Caller ID (for example, a caller who wishes to leave an 0800 number for you to call back if you want). However, with spoofing callers deliberately change the telephone number and/or name relayed as the Caller ID information. They do this to either hide their identity or to try to mimic the number of a real company or person who has nothing to do with the real caller. For example, identity thieves who want to steal sensitive information such as your bank account or login details, sometimes use spoofing to pretend they're calling from your bank or credit card company. WHAT IS BEING DONE? Calls with spoofed numbers can and do come from all over the world and account for a significant and growing proportion of nuisance calls. That's why Ofcom is working with the international regulators – as well as the telecoms industry – to find solutions to the problem. Voice over IP (VoIP) technology – the type of technology used to make internet calls – is often used in spoofing. The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), which helps to develop internet standards, has created a group specifically to tackle this issue. WHAT SHOULD YOU DO? Identity thieves and other fraudsters often pose as representatives of banks, credit card companies, creditors, or government bodies (including the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly) to get people to reveal their account numbers and other sensitive information. Never give out your personal information in response to an incoming call, or rely upon the Caller ID as the sole means of identification, particularly if the caller asks you to carry out an action which might have financial consequences. If someone rings you asking for this information, don't provide it. Instead, hang up and call the phone number on your account statement, in the phone book, or on the company's or government department's website to check whether the call was genuine. Wait at least five minutes before making the call - this ensures the line has cleared and you're not still speaking to the fraudster or an accomplice. To report it to the police, call 101 or 999 if the crime is in progress action. I THINK I'VE BEEN A VICTIM OF CALLER ID SPOOFING TELL ACTION FRAUD If you have been targeted by a scam, or know someone who has then call Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or visit www.actionfraud.police.uk. Action Fraud is the reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Reports of fraud and any other financial crime in Scotland should be reported to Police via 101. However, if debit cards, online banking or cheques are involved in the scam your first step should to contact your bank or credit card company. TELL TRADING STANDARDS If you think something may be a scam, phone 0808 223 1133 and tell the Citizens Advice Consumer Service, who can pass details of the case on to Trading Standards. The Trading Standards service is responsible for protecting consumers and the community against rogue traders and traders acting unfairly. TELL OTHERS Warn family, friends, neighbours, the local Neighbourhood Watch scheme and so on. If you get a suspicious circular or are contacted by someone you think may be a scammer, make sure you tip off others. RATE THIS PAGE Was this page helpful? Yes No What can we do to improve pages like this? Thank you for your feedback. We read all feedback but are not able to respond. If you have a specific query you should see other ways to contact us. Add to Your Pages SEE ALSO... * Scam calls pretending to be from Ofcom * ‘Wangiri’ missed call scams * Coronavirus scam calls and texts 31 March 2022 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- REQUEST AN ALTERNATIVE FORMAT Call 020 7981 3040, use textphone 020 7981 3043 or write to the Digital team. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- EXTERNAL LINKS * Action Fraud -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe to update emails FOOTER * Twitter * Facebook * LinkedIn * Youtube * Instagram * TikTok ADVICE FOR BUSINESSES * A starter pack for businesses * Knowing your rights * Read all our advice for businesses ABOUT OFCOM * What is Ofcom? * Contact us * Nations and regions * Jobs * Media Centre * General Privacy Statement * Modern slavery statement * Our work in Welsh ABOUT THIS WEBSITE * Accessibility * Cookies Policy * Terms of Use * Copyright and information re-use © Ofcom 2022