We have all received unsolicited phone calls. We also think we are pretty good at spotting scams. But what happens when you receive a phone call from someone or someplace you know? You pick up. You chat. Your guard goes down. This is why phone scams use a technique called “spoofing.” 

What is spoofing? Spoofing is when a caller deliberately falsifies the information transmitted to your caller ID display to disguise their identity. Scammers often use ‘neighbor spoofing’ so it appears that an incoming call is coming from a local number, or spoof a number from family, friends, government agencies, banks, law enforcement or charities. If you answer, they use scam scripts to try to steal your money or valuable personal information. 

Since people are more likely to pick up a call from a known number, this scam unfortunately works. According to the Federal Trade Commission, more than $590 million has been lost to spoofing in the past year.  

Unfortunately, there isn’t anything you can do to protect your phone number from being used in a scam. If you learn that your phone number has been spoofed, you should alert your contacts and update your voicemail telling people that your number may be being used in a scam. Changing your phone number is not needed, as any phone number can be used at any time without warning.  

You can protect yourself and your information from falling victim to a spoofing scam by doing the following: 

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