Spoofing a neighbor's phone call.

Well, I have about 6 different lines (2 business, 1 cell, 1 GoogleVoice, 1 landline, and 1 VoIP) that I regularly answer at various times. However, I don't get nearly as many calls as you think.  Part of the reason is the way the autodialers are programmed - repeatedly call until someone answers.  Since I answer the call and try to connect to an agent, the autodialers have done their "job" and connected a call for my number.  So my number isn't on the "short-list" for calling back.  So instead of several repeated unanswered calls from the same number, I just get the 1 that I answer. I do have a flexible enough schedule (and understanding people around me), that what little time I do spend isn't a problem. We often get a nice laugh about it when a call does come in. Sometimes I don't deal with the call myself, but transfer the call to my robot answering service (Lenny), and let it handle it. While I can't answer ever call, but do try to answer as many as I can.

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Good for you, but 99% of us do not have either, nor should we.

No problem - I'd love to find that other 1%, though.

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You may advance and be absolutely irresistible, if you make for the enemy's weak points; you may retire and be safe from pursuit if your movements are more rapid than those of the enemy. - Sun Tsu

Attacking the telemarketers at the sales/closing agent this way doesn't take everyone. Just enough to reduce their revenue so they can't make a profit, and the sales/closing agents are their weakest link. If you answer the call, it is irresistible for them to at least start talking to you. They are actually at your mercy, not the other way around. And if 1% of the people do that, it's an attack they can't predict or defend against with their current business model.

Mike has nicely addressed  the "why should we do the work" issue, and is 100% spot-on. I can't expect the FTC to go after anyone, unless I report it - and the more I can report the better they can function.

This scam is still alive and well and has been making the rounds in my city (Ogden, UT) at least since last December.  In just the past two weeks, I've received an average of 2-3 calls per day from my area code and prefix (801-392), and every time these dirt bags call they change the last four digits of the phone number.  One tip they're using a spoofed number is that Caller ID always displays "Ogden UT" instead of the actual name of the person the phone number really belongs to.  When I get a genuine call from one of my neighbors with the same area code and prefix as mine, Caller ID ALWAYS displays the name of the person calling.  That's how I know the call is legit.  I'd imagine these low lifes are using the same M.O. in other cities as well.  Don't fall for it!

What TSP do you use (Telephony Service Provider) - landline, cellular, etc. ?

Lenny is awesome!

I've gotten 6 unwanted calls with the number spoofed to my own area code & exchange (first 6 out of 10 digits) in the past 2 weeks.
I got this number in 2010 from Google Voice when they first launched the service (rebranded from Grand Central) and haven't had much of a problem with unwanted calls until a couple of years ago when I ported the number over to Project Fi cellular service (also owned by Google).
Funnily enough, the only other time I've seen a legit phone number of the same first 6 digits is from when I bought a new car in Jan 2011 and it came with GM Onstar with its own phone number and speakerphone free for 5 years included with the purchase of the car.  So I had two phone numbers of the same first 6 digits, and they were from different providers.

If they are spoofing the caller ID then they are criminal telemarketers.  Under the Truth in Caller ID Act of 2009, the rules prohibit any person or entity from transmitting misleading or inaccurate caller ID information with the intent to defraud, cause harm, or wrongly obtain anything of value.  Misleading for the purpose of financial gain, whether it be selling a lousy vehicle warranty, home security systems,  or time shares, shows intent to defraud by misrepresentation.

Telemarketers who spoof caller ID numbers can be fined $10,000 per instance.  The feds just busted a huge one in Florida (telemarketer heaven) and he's facing over $120,000,000 in fines.

If they are spoofing their numbers they are likely criminal telemarketers... which is why they don't care about calling your cell phones or numbers on the Do Not Call list.

The solution was simple, block all numbers in that area code and exchange. My blocker allows this. I have instructed my friends who share the same exchange with me to call my cell.

I recently moved across country but kept my old cell phone. Just lately I've been receiving calls from my cell phone's area and exchange. The first time, I missed the call and called back, to learn that the apparently innocent lady at that number was completely taken aback, and declared that she had made NO phone calls that morning. I decided her number had been spoofed. Now I don't answer calls from that area code and exchange, nor return them, unless I know them. I figure the odds of them spoofing one of half-a-dozen specific numbers out of 10,000 is rather low.

Spoofing of already assigned numbers is a problem as well.  I am hopeful the FCC and FTC begin to crack down on this activity further as it's problematic, as reflected by the posts in this thread.

I have been seeing that since I wrote that post 2 years ago, and it appears they are trying to trick me into answering the phone. It won't work because I don't know any of the people whose numbers are being spoofed, and I live in a large city.

I doubt the FCC will crack down, as the current chairman seems allergic to investigating, and also enforcing any laws.

My home phone (land line) service is provided by Century Link.  That's the number I'm receiving the calls with spoofed phone numbers on.  In fact, I've had another half dozen calls from spoofed 801-392 numbers again this week.  I suspect the scammers are using an auto dialer to randomly spoof numbers when they call me, because as previously noted the last four digits are NEVER the same.  Never had any problem with getting these crap calls on my cell numbers, though . . . thank God for small miracles!

This just happened to me.  Call came from a number that was in my area, 4 missed calls in 2 minutes.  I called the person back.  The person stated it was their cell phone and they hadn't touched their phone yet today.  I let them know that someone is spoofing their phone number and then blocked the number.  This issue is out of control.  Phones should not have the option for you to change the number that shows up on caller i.d. and spoofing software should be illegal.  The only thing it is good for is criminal activity.

Well even if it was made illegal, criminals would still be using it.

Yes, everything about their mantra is illegal so why then is the FCC not doing more to stop these thieves? The did manage to arrest how many in the IRS scam? but how many  more are still out there feeding off those who don't know better?  And how many elderly fall for the various scams that are out there... it's a disgrace

Yeah, the arrested what a dozen out of thousands?  India has a billion people in it so arresting 700 or even a 1000 won't put a dent in the problem.  They need to do something to give their people gainful employment and then this wouldn't be happening.  Instead they have a corrupt government that steps on their citizens and takes bribes from criminals to look the other way.