Spoofed Phone Numbers

Luis Santiago Updated by Luis Santiago

Problem

You're receiving calls from people claiming you just called them (you didn't), you're receiving spam calls from familiar-looking numbers, or you're receiving calls from your own number.

The Situation

We're aware of an increasing nationwide problem with spam and fake Caller ID. It's in the hands of the FTC...and no, you won't be charged for these calls.

Since the beginning of 2018, we have seen a dramatic rise in "spoofed" phone numbers calling our clients. These may be affecting you in two ways:

  1. Spammers are spoofing your business' public number and calling people in the same area code. Those people then call back (reaching us), angry at your business, even though you did not call them.
  2. Spammers are spoofing your own number and calling you (reaching us), knowing that you would obviously pick up the phone from your own number.

Both of these have happened to our customers before.

(And if you're like most of us, you are getting these spoofed calls on your home and mobile phones, too. )

Smith.ai (and the spam identification systems we employ) use Caller ID and the incoming phone number to block numbers. Therefore, it's not a good idea for us to block these spoofed numbers, especially if they are yours — that would mean you can't call us, or the real owners of the spoofed numbers couldn't either.

The FTC is exploring new rules around the transmission and usage of Caller ID to prevent this. Unfortunately, none of it has been enacted yet. 

You can read (and watch) more about this here:

Questions? Contact us!

If you're already a Smith.ai client and need help, please email us at support@smith.ai or call us at (650) 727-6484 for assistance.

If you're not yet a Smith.ai client, please schedule a free consultation to get started with our virtual receptionist services or email us at sales@smith.ai. We'll help you select the best plan to match your business’s growth goals and budget.

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