Like email spoofing, caller ID spoofing includes an attacker using a fake number to get through to you by dialling the real one and then having that number show up on your Caller ID. There are many legitimate uses for caller id spoofing services, however the experience for the target of the prank is sometimes very frustrating. Caller ID and reverse phone lookup are of little help to them.

While ultimately futile, there are still a few considerations to keep in mind:

• To begin, it is important to recognise the personalities that are typical spoofing users. They include both legitimate and questionable options. Businesses, collection agencies, and law enforcement agencies regularly use caller ID spoofing to improve the likelihood that a recipient would answer the phone and interact with the caller. Prank callers, who often employ Caller ID spoofing to hide their identities or scare the recipient further, are another common user demographic.
• Many prank callers, for instance, use the victim’s own phone number to scare them into thinking the call is coming from within the house while saying terrifying things. You can’t run a reverse phone lookup to find out who’s calling if you don’t have any information on the number or the person calling you.
• As a second point, knowing how caller ID spoofing works is crucial. To spoof a call, the most common technique is to use a service made for that purpose. Spoofing services often require three numbers from their customers: the one they are calling from, the one they are trying to reach, and the one they want to display on their Caller ID. All of this data is collected by means of a website. The spoofing company would then “bridge” your call by calling you thereafter to connect you to the real number.
• Second, you may fake a caller’s ID by downloading and using one of the many apps that do this that you can find online. However, this technique is only available to those who have access to a VoIP service, or broadband telephone service (VoIP).

Conclusion

Even though it’s easy to fake a phone call, a reverse phone lookup is one of the most reliable techniques to tell if a number has been spoofed. You can find out who is impersonating you with the use of a reverse phone lookup, law enforcement, your phone company, and a private company that can trace a phone number.