Number spoofing
The way this is done is through number spoofing (rather than somehow taking over your phone).
Number spoofing is all too easy to do with modern telecoms technologies while network standard and regulations are years behind on limiting it. Unfortunately, where caller ID has been spoofed, as is the case in most such calls we are unfortunately powerless to do anything.
When people are receiving calls that pretend to come from you, you can find yourself inundated with people returning missed calls and demanding to know why you called them.
How does it work?
It is analogous to someone sending a letter via Royal Mail with your address written as the sender – you didn’t send it and never handled that envelope, but you’ll end up getting any replies. You can’t stop them getting more even though it has your name on it. Royal Mail can as they are actually delivering the letter. Of course, if they reply to your address it will come to you, as with the returned calls.
What can be done?
If someone has reported the problem to you, for example by returning one of the calls, they need to understand that they have received a nuisance or scam call and should report it to their phone service provider who, like Royal Mail in the above analogy, will be able to see who sent them the call.
There are two likely scenarios:
- The caller is deliberately spoofing your numbers, likely to fool your customers
- The caller is just trying to obscure their identity
Scenario 2 is overwhelmingly more likely. Most of these callers are based overseas and are picking random UK numbers to appear more legitimate (people often won’t answer the phone to a withheld or international number). When this is the case, they will generally use a number for a few days and then move onto a new number. The problem therefore normally goes away fairly soon, but unless you can engage the call recipients as described above, the criminal will be able to continue and possibly scam more victims.
Is there really nothing else which we can do?
There are two more radical options, which are often not appropriate for business customers:
- If you do not use the number for outbound calls (e.g. it is purely an inbound service for your support team) Ofcom have a Do Not Originate list. UK providers are required to block any calls with numbers on that list. For information, and how to add your number to that list, visit the Ofcom website.
- You can change your number. For most businesses this isn’t possible because it will be printed on marketing materials and shared with customers, but if possible it will separate your business from the damage done by these calls. This may be an option if it is an individual’s direct number or an unadvertised number.
New Ofcom rules to fight number spoofing
Ofcom has issued new strengthened rules and guidance to phone companies to help them prevent scammers access to valid UK phone numbers – however these new rules are less stringent on UK mobile phone numbers (which start with 07 or +447) as there are many legitimate use cases for non-domestic origin calls from a domestic mobile number, such as international roaming.
This may result in an uptick in scammers spoofing mobile numbers. You should exercise the same caution with a UK mobile number you don’t recognise as you would a landline, international or withheld number.
Read more about Ofcom’s changes here.
In the event that you believe your calls are being blocked in error as a result of these changes you should contact your service provider in the first instance. If we are your service provider please contact misuse@gamma.co.uk.
