This call came from a scammer in another country using a magic jack device and Caller ID “Spoofing” technology. Some scammers making unwanted telephone calls are using a new technology called “caller ID spoofing” to falsify caller ID information. This means that telephone services such as caller ID, *69 (last call return) and *57 (call trace) are no longer reliable. The use of “spoofed” numbers by fraudsters who hide from the law is spreading due to phone companies’ installation of computer equipment that allows Internet-connected computers to cheaply make phone calls to conventional telephones. This technology allows the scammer to make unidentifiable phone calls to a citizen’s home. When a person returns a “spoofed” call, they find that the number is disconnected, not in service, or is assigned to someone who is very obviously not the scammer.
Most “spoofed” calls come from criminals trying to steal money or obtain personal information, such as credit card numbers, which the thieves can then use to commit identity theft.