Scammers use phone spoofing to convince an individual and extract all the sensitive information from them. They rush to make you panic by making serious claims, such as your account being frozen in twenty minutes if you do not confirm its official details. In the process, they ask for personal information such as passwords, OTPs, and bank details. But as soon as they get the information, they empty the bank account of the victim and leave the scene. So, this blog provides you with a detailed account of what phone spoofing is and how you can detect and prevent it. So keep reading till the end!
What is Spoofing?
Spoofing is the act of falsifying information to pretend someone is trusted and legitimate to approach users and convince them to reveal sensitive details like passwords, OTPs, and websites. Scammers use this technique of spoofing in cyberattacks, social engineering attacks, phishing, creating false caller IDs, and setting up fake websites to deceive users and trick them into falling into their trap. They beguile users to reveal private details and give OTPs and passwords. Once scammers have this information, they do all types of malicious activities, such as financial fraud, blackmail, hijacking key accounts, and using the hacked accounts to spread false rumors or doing malicious activities.
How does Phone Spoofing Work?
In phone spoofing, scammers choose a target and create a fake caller ID to show a trusted number. After this, they make a phone call to the target using the tampered caller ID. When the victim receives the call on his phone, it shows a trusted and legitimate phone number from a bank or legitimate authorities. When he picks up the call, the caller speaks of an urgent situation in which it is suggested that your account is going to be frozen due to unverified personal details. The scammer takes the victim into confidence and asks him to provide bank details, including user ID and passwords.
If the victims share the details with the caller, they access the bank account at once and steal the hard-earned money from their account. By the time the victim comes to realize that all the game scammers have all the money and leave the scene without leaving any clues behind. You will come across most of the phone spoofing incidents.
Here are some examples of how scammers spoof phone numbers:
- VoIP services & apps: Cheap voice-over-IP services let attackers set an arbitrary caller ID.
- Call-spoofing services/websites: Some online services advertise the ability to place calls that show any caller ID.
- Compromised PBX/phone systems: attackers are exploiting misconfigured business phone systems.
- SIM/number duplication or SIM swap attacks to make calls from a stolen identity (different technique).
Why is Phone Spoofing so Dangerous?
Phone spoofing is really a dangerous business, as scammers use it to commit malicious activities that include harassment, account hacking, financial fraud, phishing, and social engineering attacks. If a person becomes a victim of phone spoofing, he is likely to become exposed to a wide range of threats. Scammers can compromise his online privacy and security, steal his money, take over his social media accounts, and disrupt his whole life. Here are some detailed descriptions that explain why phone spoofing is so dangerous:
They act like a Trusted Person
Attackers pose as a company employee to bypass verification and pretend to be from a legitimate organization. They sound so confident and fluent that you cannot recognize them. They exploit your sense of insecurity by creating a helpless situation to make you act fast and share the sensitive information.
Steals Your Money Fast
Scammers can pretend to be from a bank or a legitimate service to trick you into sending cash or giving an OTP, and flip your money before you blink. They can make you bankrupt in no time if you take these fake calls to be real and provide them with the sensitive details they ask for.
Steals Your Identity
In the worst-case scenario, scammers can steal your digital Identity if they get your passwords, ID numbers, or personal details on the phone. With these personal details, they can open up an account, get loans issued in your name, or use your bank accounts for money laundering. These events can ravage you for a long time.
Harms Feelings and Safety
Scammers can break you mentally and emotionally by harassing you online. They can coerce you to do nasty things that can lead you to embarrassment, phobias, and depression. Scammers often use these tactics to coerce a victim to get what they want.
Makes People Panic and Act Rashly
Scammers demand things in urgency and get their demands fulfilled all at once. When normal people confront high pressure from a stranger, they become panicked and extremely scared. These things can lead them to emotional breakdowns and panic attacks.
Breaks Trust in Real Calls
When a person becomes a victim of a number spoofing, they become suspicious of every call. His breach of trust leads to stopping picking up important calls from even real authorities and companies. These incidents change the perception of a person for a lifetime. He stops taking even real calls from banks, doctors, or family members.
Hard to Trace
The most dangerous thing about fake numbers is tracing their locations. They come from different places and use the internet. It is not easy to find them when they constantly change locations. When they use different locations and falsified caller IDs, you won’t be able to trace them.
Targets the Vulnerable
Scammers pick vulnerable targets in spoofing attacks. For example, they pick older people, tech-newbies, and busy folks to make their targets. These people do not suspect calls that seem legitimate when they are looked upon with bare eyes. Scammers exploit this fact and trick these people into falling into their malicious traps.
How to Protect From Phone Spoofing?
If you want to protect yourself from phone spoofing, then you have to stay alert and act cautiously when receiving calls from unknown caller IDs. Here are some effective tips that can help you protect yourself from phone spoofing:
1. Hang up and call back
If the caller rushes you do not act rashly. Calm down and stop. Take a breath. Go to the official website of the company or organization and get the official support number from there. Make a call from your phone and confirm all the details with them.
2. Don’t Share OTPs or Passwords
If you get a suspicious call and the caller asks for personal details, like passwords and OTPs, then do not share them with them. Trusted and real organizations never share personal details and OTPs via random phone calls.
3. Use Your Carrier’s Scam Protection
Check your phone for carrier scam protection. Reputed companies give a built-in feature to protect against scams. Find these scam protection features and turn them on to stay protected against potential scams and fake caller IDs.
4. Install a Call-Blocking App
It is highly recommended that you use a call-detecting app to recognize the spoofed caller IDs and block them before they take any toll on you. It can recognize the fake calls coming from strangers, and you can choose to block them using the app.
5. Set Unknown Numbers to go to Voicemail First
When you configure an unknown phone number to go to voicemail first, it saves you from answering or interacting with them directly. In this way, scammers won’t be able to trick or fool you when they approach you. Also, it can block most of the robocalls as automated scam calls never leave a voicemail. Genuine callers mostly leave a voice call telling you about themselves and expressing their need to talk to you.
6. Use Do-Not-Call Lists
If you do not use a do-not-call list on your phone, then you can block the sales and unnecessary calls that could also be scams from calling you. To do so, you need to register your number on the Do-Not-Call lists. If this service is available in your region or country, then use it for sure to avoid unnecessary calls.
7. Report the Suspicious Calls
If you are receiving calls from an unknown and suspicious person, then report it as spam. You can report it to the concerned company or bank, or organization that the caller is claiming to be from. They can take quick action to raise safety nets across the organization to prevent potential mishaps down the line.
8. Use Two-Factor Authentication
You must always use multi-factor authentication to double down on the security of your bank, social media, email, and sensitive online accounts you are using on your device. If by chance you lost your primary details, such as your password and pins, the hackers won’t be able to bypass the security barriers of your accounts. You will get a code and security alert on your registered mobile number or email to confirm the activity that it is you who is trying to log in to your official banking and social media accounts.
9. Lock Your SIM with a PIN
It is highly recommended that you lock your SIM with a PIN and enable carrier security protection. In this regard, you must use a two-factor on the carrier account.
10. Keep Your Device Updated
Last but not least, it is highly recommended that you keep your phone updated. Download new updates for the system, apps, and security as soon as they are made available. It patches the security gaps and fixes the program vulnerabilities in the system and apps. Updated devices prevent cybercrooks from exploiting security vulnerabilities to access the sensitive accounts and personal information in your phone.
How to Detect Phone Spoofing?
Phone spoofing shows some specific signs when you receive calls from them. To detect them, here are some sure signs that can help you detect phone spoofing:
- Caller ID shows a trusted number, but the voice or message content is wrong/odd.
- Caller insists on urgent action (transfer money, share OTP, verification code).
- Caller asks for full card details, OTP, CVV, or bank PIN. Real banks do not ask for such details.
- Automated/robotic voice asking to press buttons or give information.
- The number appears local, but the accent or language is unexpected.
- You receive multiple calls from the same “trusted” number in a short time.
What to do if You Suspect Spoofing?
If the caller’s behavior matches the fake caller ID, then you should act immediately. Here are some quick tips that can prevent the phone spoofing scam:
- Hang up. Don’t disclose any sensitive info.
- Call back using the official number from the official website.
- Do not share OTPs, CVV, passwords, or PINs.
- If you have already shared any data, contact your bank/issuer and ask them to freeze accounts.
- Record details such as time, number displayed, and what was asked for reporting.
