In recent years, hundreds of people around the world claim to have received a call from their own number. Some are destabilized while others think it is an error of their operator. What is it really?
The most plausible explanation if you have recently received a missed call from your own number, is that a spammer has spoofed your phone number, in order to steal valuable information or even money. This practice is called "spoofing", which means usurpation in English.
A surprise call
Donny Claxton got one of those dangerous calls on Wednesday night. "I'm looking at the phone, and it's me," he told WFAA's local Texas station. Donny then wonders how can he call himself, he dropped out and stayed online for about nine seconds before the silent caller hangs up.
Another Texan, and specifically Waco, reported a similar experience, except that he heard something on the other end of the line. "I was told that my account had been compromised by AT & T," said Anson Massey at KXXV, another local Texas station. He thought it was a joke, since he occasionally received calls like this, but never from his own number. The false registration even asked for the last four digits of the account holder's social security number.
The two men are not the only ones. Many people, especially in France, received calls from their own number, many of them turned to their own operator to ask for explanations. Other targets shared their confused encounters with "themselves" on Twitter, worried and intrigued by strange calls. This is the case of Smith Getterman who published a screenshot of his phone on Twitter showing a missed call from "himself":
How do these fraudsters get to have your number?
Despite the familiar number, most phone thieves do not hide in your neighborhood, or in the same country as you. They copy or "spoof" the numbers using a computer program, says Phylissia Landix of the Better Business Bureau (BBB) at WFAA. Many use your area code or mimic your number. These tactics encourage people to quit, allowing crooks to insert fraudulent charges on their phone bills or obtain sensitive information such as social security number or credit card numbers.
As with the recording received by Massey, new malicious calls may refer to data breaches. "They are trying to create an atmosphere of legitimacy by saying," There was a data breach, you were compromised, "said BBB's regional director, Adam Price, at KXXV. He also advises people never to drop, because there is no way to call oneself only in case of fraud.
Tips:
In addition to letting unknown or suspicious numbers ring, you can also protect yourself by subscribing to the Opposition List Bloctel in France, and the National Do Not Call List in Canada.
With today's technology, it's easy for fraudsters to use a fraudulent number to call you, whether that number is yours or your area code. Always be wary of information that you communicate over the phone.
It is also recommended that callers pretending to represent a company or the government be checked by hanging up and dialing the telephone number on the official website.
Taking these security measures could prevent your personal information, and your money, from falling into the wrong hands.