[Tfug] OT - Telemarketing calls with fraudulent caller ID

[Adrian]

On Thursday 24 August 2006 16:12, Brian Masur wrote:
> I've had a couple of these, one was on saturday august 5th, another a few 
> months ago.  The caller ID did look like a strange number now that you 
> mention it, the last one was a 682 area code which I'm not sure exists.  
> Have you had any go to voicemail?  What I don't understand is why they're in 
> spanish.
> 

I haven't had any go to voicemail as I nearly always pickup my phone 
immediately... this is why I have it ;) A 682 area coded number may or my not 
be real... 682 is Texas, but there are very few allocated COs in that area 
code. You could look up if it is infact a valid exchange if you still have 
the number handy.

After doing a bit more research, it seems a lot of people are getting these 
calls on their cellphones, all seemingly from fraudulent numbers. It is a 
pre-record Spanish voice saying that you have "won a camera, press 1 to speak 
with an operator". If you don;t do anything it hangs up within 15 secs. Those 
that have hit 1 get connected off to a person who claims to only speak 
spanish, any questions as to who they are, how they got the number, or to 
stop calling are immediately met with a hangup.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&as_qdr=all&q=site%3Awhocalled.us+spanish+&btnG=Search

Ive looked at about 20 of the numbers allegedly making the call, supposedly 
originating from points all over the US. All but 2 are clearly fraudulent as 
the NPA-NXX has not even been assigned, and of the 2 that have been assigned, 
both were handed out within the last couple months. Who ever is doing it 
clearly knows exactly what they are doing, picking un-assigned numbering 
ranges and having their PBX send out fraudulent CIDs in those ranges to try 
and mask their true location. Unfortunately... until someone in a CO starts 
going over the transfer records, it looks like this will continue unabated.

Adrian