"This call is regarding an outstanding business balance. Press 1 to speak with an agent."
Your caller ID says "possible debt collection." The number looks familiar. You've had it with these calls, so you report it and get ready to block.
Then you look it up. It's the main line for your own credit card company.
That's what we found when we looked at the numbers merchants reported to MCAFax. Merchants filed 2,752 reports covering 1,707 distinct phone numbers. Several of the most-reported "debt collection" numbers weren't collectors at all. They were the main lines of big brands: American Express, USAA, Intuit and American Family Insurance.
Those companies weren't the ones hounding anyone. Their numbers were being faked on caller ID or misreported. USAA's main line is one scammers are known to spoof. One more number on the list was linked to a known scam where callers pretend to be a big phone carrier.
How the fake caller ID works
Caller ID is not proof of who is calling. The FCC says spoofing is when a caller "deliberately falsifies the information transmitted to your caller ID display." Scammers often copy a local number, or a number from a company you already trust.
Internet calling makes that cheap. A VoIP dialer can show almost any number it wants. In our data, 54% of reported numbers sit in VoIP or CLEC blocks. That's where spoofed caller IDs usually live.
The second trick is neighbor spoofing. The call shows your own area code so you think it's local. Most numbers that do this aren't real brokerage lines.
The number-bank pattern
Some callers don't use one number. They use a bank of them.
We found 40 number banks. Each is a block of 3 or more near-sequential numbers hitting the same merchants. Block one, and the next number in line rings tomorrow.
The biggest bank was 14 numbers in one exchange block, behind 45 reports. That isn't 14 brokers. It's one dialer and one operation.
| What merchants reported | Count |
|---|---|
| Merchant reports | 2,752 |
| Distinct numbers | 1,707 |
| VoIP / CLEC blocks | 54% |
| Landline | 21% |
| Wireless | 17% |
| Toll-free | 7% |
| Number banks (3+ near-sequential numbers) | 40 |
| Biggest bank | 14 Numbers, 45 reports |
Red flags the caller ID is fake
- The number shows your area code, but nobody local is on the line.
- Missed calls come from numbers that differ by only the last digit or two.
- A recording asks you to press 1, or to press a key to stop the calls. The FCC says to just hang up.
- The caller says "collections" but won't give a company name, a mailing address, or an account number you recognize.
- The number belongs to a bank, card issuer or software company you actually use.
What to do: 5 checks before you answer or block
- Check whether it's your own company. Compare the number with the back of your card, your bank statement and your software bills. If it matches, call that company at the number on its website and ask if it contacted you.
- Don't trust the screen. A familiar name on caller ID proves nothing. Let unknown calls go to voicemail. Real creditors leave a name and usually send something in writing.
- Look for the bank. Line up your missed calls. If the numbers are close together and hit at the same times, treat them as one caller.
- Never confirm details. Don't say "yes," don't press keys, and don't give account numbers, your EIN or your SSN on a call you didn't make.
- Write it down, then act. Log the number, date, time and what they said. Then send a written stop request, block the bank, and file a complaint with the FCC if the calls look spoofed.
Stop the calls for free
Check the number. Then use MCAFax's free C&D tool at MCAFax.com.
Sources: FCC, Caller ID Spoofing; FCC Consumer Complaint Center