麻豆视频

Phone spoofing is nothing new, but it is something that is actively becoming more and more popular amongst phone scammers and telemarketers in recent years.

Spoofing allows an individual to use software, the internet, or even a smart phone app, which masks their actual number with a fake one.

In the past these numbers used to be random and could even read something weird like 1(234)567-8910; today, however, phone spoofing allows for individuals to choose the numbers they are using. Thus, a local number will show up on the call display often times tricking someone into picking it up as it could be a number they recognize or a possible call they missed from someone they don't contact often.

They are therefore able to bypass the no-call list which prevents 1-800 numbers from calling those on the list and are likely utilizing auto-dialers to simply contact countless numbers in a day.

"It is not illegal," Cst. Beardmore with the Carlyle RCMP detachment explained of spoofing. "In the States they've just passed a bill which makes it illegal to spoof and then fraud somebody, but spoofing in Canada isn't against the law. The act of fraud is, however, so that is what would be investigated, not the spoofing."

"It is a growing problem though with people using this to falsify who they are."

Eric Brown, shop hand at Savanna and volunteer firefighter in Carlyle, has been dealing with phone spoofers since November.

This first call he answered, which was a Weyburn number, those on the other end of the line offered him 20,000 Air Miles if he were to provide them with a credit card number. He hung up the phone and thinking this was odd that a scam would display a number from Weyburn he called the number back and got a hold of someone.

"I was just curious because I knew it was a Weyburn number and a scam," Eric explained. "I called back and a guy picked up the phone, it sounded like he was working or driving on the road. So, I apologized and told him what happened. He explained that it had happened to him a couple of weeks before he said they were likely using my number now."

Sure enough a few weeks later there was a call to his cell phone from a woman saying she had missed his call. Remembering what had occurred only a short time prior to this, Eric told the woman about phone spoofing, as he had researched it some during this time.

Since then he has been called multiple other times being offered the same deal: 20,000 Air Miles for being a valued WestJet customer. All he has to do is provide his credit card information.

Eric explained this only continued to prove the fraudsters as he has never flown with WestJet so couldn't be a valued customer.

The most recent call from the scammers happened a couple of weeks ago, which being annoyed with the fact that the scammers seemingly get away with what they're doing he began to question the caller.

"I think right away I asked them how they're using a Weyburn number when they don't even know where Weyburn is," Eric stated. "You're using someone's real number for a scam."

As Eric spoke the individual continued to ask for a credit card number attempting to perpetuate the story of being with WestJet.

Eric in turn questioned, "How did you steal the number?"

At this point the caller put the phone down and another person picked up the phone. At this point Eric had strong words with them about calling people in this fashion, which led to the phone being set down again only to be picked up by a third conspirator.

"The third guy tried to prove the legitimacy, tried to prove to me that it was real, and asked for my credit card number again," Eric explained.

Eric proceeded to have further stern words with this individual, which resulted in them vowing they would call him every day.

"The third guy said that I had been reported to WestJet security," Eric said laughing because the callers had not even discovered his name. "They told me they'd phone me every single day and that when I change my number they'll continue to call me every day."

Despite the fraudsters threatening to call him every day Eric hasn't received another call from them since.

In relation to this particular scam, WestJet issued a press release recently encouraging people to be aware of the fraudsters posing as the Canadian company.

"This phone scam and other, similar versions continue to be a source of great frustration for our guests as well as for us," Richard Bartrem, WestJet Vice President, explained. "We would like to reassure Canadians once again that we are not making these annoying calls, and we apologize for the inconvenience. We urge anyone who receives one of these calls to hang up immediately and report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca."

Like many people who receive calls of winning a trip or Air Miles, Eric did not report them. These types of scams have almost come to be expected by the populace, a mild annoyance which comes with owning a phone, with most people simply hanging up on the scammers.

Though Eric hasn't reported them, he does believe the next time the people posing with WestJet call him back he will contact the RCMP or the Anti-Fraud Centre because he doesn't want someone to be taken advantage of if they end up believing the fraudulent story and hopes that by reporting them they can somehow be traced in the future.