Phone Number Cloning

jlow1

Hi all anybody any experience of their number being cloned and how to prevent it?

I am getting regular calls from people returning a missed call from me even though i have not called them in the first place.

It has been happening on and off for months now. Some people becoming irate when I don't answer their call back too!

Is there anything that can be done by operator?

New Sim card perhaps?

I understand the cloners are using an IP address to call unsuspecting members of the public and using my number as their cover.

I'm with Vodafone and work pay my bill.

TIA.

Alun

Your number hasn't been cloned, it's just some scammer calling via a dodgy VoIP gateway and spoofing your number in the Caller ID. Nothing you can do really apart from just waiting for it to stop. I had it happen for a week or so but it all stopped just as suddenly.

JDxtra

It's mad that the mobile operators still allow this type of thing to happen. ComReg will (eventually) be able to force them to clean up their act, but that could be some time away yet.

Endure it, or get a new number I suppose?

Tevenie

I had a very angry man call me recently telling me he was sick to death of my scams and he wasn't paying €79 to me for Amazon and I could xxxx off. I said I think my number has been used... we laughed in the end. Nice bloke 😂

Wanderer78

just ignore unknown calls folks, screen calls via voicemail, and block from there....

Alun

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121596105#Comment_121596105

Easy enough for a personal phone, possibly less so for a works phone depending on what it's being used for.

jlow1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121596075#Comment_121596075

Spoofing/cloning sorry I'm not up with the terminology!

I thought the same it will stop but it hasn't. On and off now for months.

jlow1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121596089#Comment_121596089

Have the number for the past 20+ years I'd rather keep it and endure i think!

jlow1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121596105#Comment_121596105

That's about the only way now i think yeah.

Alun

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121596089#Comment_121596089

In the majority of cases they're spoofing the Caller ID with mobile numbers, so you'd imagine it would be fairly easy to block any incoming calls from a VoIP gateway that had mobile numbers in the Caller ID wouldn't you?

Alun

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121596149#Comment_121596149

Cloning involves physically cloning your SIM card and using it in a mobile phone, usually to intercept one time passcodes to gain control over email, online banking or online shopping accounts for example.

Spoofing is just making a phone call appear to come from your phone number, just like is often done with email addresses.

Glaceon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121596105#Comment_121596105

Blocking the numbers is pointless. You're blocking a randomer (like the OP) who had their number spoofed. And the scammers will just use a different number next time.

That said, I'm sick of these. Surely it can't be that hard to prevent a foreign VoIP system from spoofing an Irish mobile number?

iora_rua

yes, I've had this happening on and off since last year. I get two or three over a few days, then nothing for weeks. I'm with 3, so it's obviously happening across all providers. Once I realised that there wasn't a lot I could do about it, i try explaining to the person at the other end and usually have a pleasant chat with the caller.

Beric Dondarrion

Same thing has been happening to me for a couple of months now. I've had the same mobile number for over twenty years so I'm not in a hurry to change it. I recently changed providers but still receive the odd call from someone who is returning a "missed call" from my number.

Andrewf20

I had this happen maybe 2 dozen times then it fizzled out after a few months. No more missed calls now.