How do you know if you’re getting a spam call?
You might start by looking at the number of the person calling – and if it’s an area code you don’t recognize, you ignore it.
But these days, scammers have a workaround to that: Phone spoofing (or Caller ID spoofing).
Phone spoofing was developed for situations where a caller needs to display a different number. For example, a doctor may want to call a patient using the hospital’s number rather than their personal number for privacy reasons.
Scammers have taken advantage of this technology for phone spoofing scams and can imitate any phone number.
Even if it looks like they’re calling you from a reputable institution, don’t be fooled! It’s just another one of their tricks.
To kick off the first week of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, we're exploring how you can protect yourself from phone spoofing scams:
With this scam, fraudsters use numbers you probably recognize – like well-known financial institutions or the CRA – to gain your trust.
Since most people don’t answer calls from unknown numbers, scammers use a technique called neighbour spoofing to use a local area code in the phone number, even if they’re calling from another country.
Scammers can even spoof your own phone number, so it looks like you’re getting a call from yourself! This is known as “mirroring”.
Here’s how the scam typically unfolds:
Phone spoofing scams can target anyone, so here are the best practices to keep in mind:
Since you know phone numbers can be spoofed, you can’t trust Caller ID. Instead, use other methods to verify the identity of the caller. Hang up and call the business or person directly.
Be wary of anyone who asks for your financial information, especially if it’s over the phone.
Remember: Cambrian will never call you to ask for your account information.
You can talk to friends and family about phone spoofing scams to spread the word.
Have you been targeted by a scammer? Report it to help protect other Canadians and raise awareness.
Once you post your phone number online, it could fall into the hands of scammers and fraudsters to be used as a target for their tricks.
That’s why it’s so important to be careful about the information you share online. Once it’s out there, it’s very difficult to get back.
Gone are the days when it was easy to spot scams in typo-ridden emails or obviously made-up stories.
Today, fraudsters use sophisticated technology to imitate businesses and deceive you into believing their claims are legitimate.
Stay up to date on the latest fraud trends to keep you and your loved ones safe. One way to do that? Check out our new Cybersecurity and Fraud Prevention Centre!
On this page, we share resources on the latest fraud trends to help you stay safe from scammers. Be sure to check back often to read our latest articles!
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