Your phone rings. You recognize the number, but when you pick up, it’s someone else. What’s the deal?
Scammers are using fake caller ID information to trick you into thinking they are someone local, someone you trust – like a government agency or police department, or a company you do business with – like your bank or cable provider. The practice is called caller ID spoofing, and scammers don’t care whose phone number they use. One scammer recently used the phone number of an FTC employee.
Don’t rely on caller ID to verify who’s calling. It can be nearly impossible to tell whether the caller ID information is real. Here are a few tips for handling these calls:
- If you get a strange call from the government, hang up. If you want to check it out, visit the official (.gov) website for contact information. Government employees won’t call out of the blue to demand money or account information.
- Don’t give out — or confirm — your personal or financial information to someone who calls.
- Don’t wire money or send money using a reloadable card. In fact, never pay someone who calls out of the blue, even if the name or number on the caller ID looks legit.
- Feeling pressured to act immediately? Hang up. That’s a sure sign of a scam.
Want more tips for avoiding scams? Check out 10 Ways to Avoid Fraud.
If you’ve received a call from a scammer, with or without fake caller ID information, report it to the FTC and the FCC.
It is your choice whether to submit a comment. If you do, you must create a user name, or we will not post your comment. The Federal Trade Commission Act authorizes this information collection for purposes of managing online comments. Comments and user names are part of the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) public records system, and user names also are part of the FTC’s computer user records system. We may routinely use these records as described in the FTC’s Privacy Act system notices. For more information on how the FTC handles information that we collect, please read our privacy policy.
The purpose of this blog and its comments section is to inform readers about Federal Trade Commission activity, and share information to help them avoid, report, and recover from fraud, scams, and bad business practices. Your thoughts, ideas, and concerns are welcome, and we encourage comments. But keep in mind, this is a moderated blog. We review all comments before they are posted, and we won’t post comments that don’t comply with our commenting policy. We expect commenters to treat each other and the blog writers with respect.
We don't edit comments to remove objectionable content, so please ensure that your comment contains none of the above. The comments posted on this blog become part of the public domain. To protect your privacy and the privacy of other people, please do not include personal information. Opinions in comments that appear in this blog belong to the individuals who expressed them. They do not belong to or represent views of the Federal Trade Commission.
In reply to I've had fake calls call me by mmsorok
In reply to My neighbor has had her own by BertC
In reply to They can spoof landline #s as by AZRat
In reply to HOW CAN WE KNOW IF WE HAVE by SHIRLEY
In reply to Shirley, Get an answering by Ravy
In reply to Shirley, Get an answering by Ravy
In reply to Hi Ravy i have had problems by Mr.John K
In reply to HOW CAN WE KNOW IF WE HAVE by SHIRLEY
In reply to HOW CAN WE KNOW IF WE HAVE by SHIRLEY
In reply to HOW CAN WE KNOW IF WE HAVE by SHIRLEY
In reply to They can spoof landline #s as by AZRat
In reply to My neighbor has had her own by BertC
In reply to My neighbor has had her own by BertC
In reply to When I had a landline I use by Kiva
In reply to My neighbor has had her own by BertC
In reply to My neighbor has had her own by BertC
In reply to I've had fake calls call me by mmsorok
The below listed phone numbers are the latest known phone numbers to be in use by the IRS Impersonation Scam suspects: (202) 239-1939 (202) 239-2883 (202) 239-8820 (202) 506-9122 (202) 600-9696 (202) 792-8931 (202) 836-9550 (209) 729-3815 (305) 602-3108 (347) 418-0597 (404) 857-1987 (408) 418-0072 (415) 363-0183 (626) 739-3024 (646) 680-0873 (650) 720-8573 (703) 239-6351 (718) 354-8929 (844) 395-7940 (844) 395-7947 (973) 206-4150 (202) 704-3264 (516) 204-0213 (607) 304-3136
In reply to The below listed phone by CICT
In reply to Add this number to the list by Add'l #
In reply to Add this number got a a call by sunnyday
In reply to Add this number to the list by Add'l #
In reply to add this number as well 206 by Addendum
In reply to Received a scam call this by Hung
In reply to Received a scam call this by Hung
In reply to I rec'd a call on Sunday from by Fitgirl
In reply to I received two calls in the by Teetee09
Please add: 202-506-9026 and 202-506-8335 to the list.
In reply to Received a scam call this by Hung
In reply to We use nomorobo.com by V Lee
In reply to We use nomorobo.com by V Lee
In reply to We use nomorobo.com by Brandychase
In reply to We use nomorobo.com by V Lee
In reply to We use nomorobo.com by V Lee
In reply to Add this number to the list by Add'l #
In reply to Add this number to the list by Add'l #
In reply to Add this number to the list by Add'l #
In reply to The below listed phone by CICT
In reply to add this # 213-289-3862 by DM
In reply to The IRS doesn't make phone by Rick Witty
In reply to Then why are we required to by seeking knowledge
In reply to The IRS doesn't make phone by Rick Witty
In reply to I Just Got Called -Saying by Layten1
In reply to The IRS doesn't make phone by Rick Witty
Someone just called me and I recognize that number from somewhere but I never answered then it was a male saying he was from a corporations idk and he said if anyone who is 17 uses my phone and I said no (I'm 13 ) and he asked me if my parents used my phone and that's it , it was a weird call idk what it was
In reply to The IRS doesn't make phone by Rick Witty
In reply to Screw with them.keep them on by Edward
In reply to Yes Edward! I’m retired and I by BillyBob
In reply to Screw with them.keep them on by Edward
In reply to Screw with them.keep them on by Edward
In reply to The below listed phone by CICT
In reply to 202-394-7532 two calls today by Another #
Pagination