9 replies to this topic

[Langley VA]

I've been having marketing problems ever since I got my phone line this summer. In any given week, I'll get at least 3 unsolicited telemarketers or ads, hangups, possibly even war dialers, and CID isn't cutting it. I'm thinking of getting on the No-Call list, but I'm already anticipating a few violators. Who wouldn't?

Anyway, my question is how can I track down these incoming calls? I appealed to the phone company and they claim they do not keep (or more likely just don't release) call logs, even though I own the line. The only exception seemed to be requesting a phone trap, which seems a bit extreme. What's the best way to go about this?

[inaequitas]

What are your intentions? I mean tracking them and compiling a list might be useful, but do you have the option of blocking or telling your handset to drop the call? I can see some interesting mess-abouts that I think could be done via Asterisk [such as forwarding call from one telemarketer to another agency]

Otherwise get on the No Call list and check your local laws - I'm not sure if you can take action against those that violate the list but at least it might minimise the number of calls you get.

[Langley VA]

Well, there's a number of intents. Having their phone and agency name would let me report it to the Trade Comission, and I believe their fines for No-Call violation is somewhere in the 5-figures. Then there's phishing scams. I haven't noticed any first-hand, but I've heard stories. If I could get some kind of call origin info it should do some good. Just seems like something that would be useful in general.

Even something as basic as reverse lookup could help me whenever CID works. I don't even know if they can do that for 1-800 numbers, but if they could, I'd be interested.

[Langley VA]

Alright, the situation has changed somewhat recently. On any given day, I'll receive 3 to 5 hangup calls from unknown sources. In total, they account for maybe 20 calls per week--though it's hard to be certain since I my schedule is inconsistent. Now luckily, they haven't been filling up answering machine, but I'd say they're overdue for some payback.

Can anyone give me some advice on how I can track them down, social engineer, phreak or otherwise get the upper hand here?

[Swerve]

Haven't heard of phising a voice call, but perhaps you could consider changing your number, let the tel co. know why you are changing it as they may give you a recently used number, and then make a list of who you have given the number to, and who they might give it to. Base your 'suspected callers' list on that list.

Sales people wouldn't hang up if you answer the call, maybe it's a debt collection agency looking for someone, they don't leave messages.

[McGrewSecurity]

Haven't heard of phising a voice call

This was going on long before email/IM type phishing, and still happens a lot today. Some of the telemarketing calls you are getting are probably scams designed to gather personal information. Personally, I've gotten calls from "credit card services" and "prescription plans" that, upon further investigation, fit the M.O. of known information gathering scams. The percentage of telemarketing calls you get that are scams like this will actually go up once you put yourself onto the do not call list, as the legitimate firms will honor it and stop calling you, but for the scammers, I suppose they feel there's no real harm in breaking a few more laws.

Less of a phishing thing, but you might even run across typical 419 or lottery scams in your snail mail. This too was going on before the emailed variants. I have a few letters, saying that I won a Canadian lottery, that I occasionally pass around when I give talks about scams.

[Langley VA]

Yep. After listening to Clark Howard on AM radio I figure it's pretty shrewd to never do business over the phone. At least when I'm not the making the call. It's funny you should mention debt collection because there was a 2-month stretch where I'd get automated calls requesting some person I've never heard of. I have my suspicions about whether this person or the debt firm ever existed. I'd wager this new thing is either some different creditor or possibly someone trying to figure out my schedule. It sounds like I might try switching numbers. I haven't even had this one half a year, so no harm there. In the meantime, I'll check again and see if there's any way to recover their numbers. It would help to know if these calls are from lots of random people, or if it's a single, concentrated effort.

[McGrewSecurity]

Unless you social engineer some contact information out of them, you're not going to get very far. The number on your caller ID is about as likely to be spoofed as anything, and while the phone company can log the phone numbers that are actually calling you, they probably will not turn that information over to you unless compelled by the courts. They'll want you to go through the channels of calling the police and filing a report about the harassment.

Sometimes debt collectors get the wrong idea about who lives where. Sometimes it's a scam. The current resident is often so happy that they're not the ones the collectors are looking for, and so eager to clear it up, that they'll tell the person on the phone anything.

[droops]

http://whocalled.us/

This site has some information on different numbers that may be calling you.

[punk_kaos]

You also might try porting the number to a VoIP provider that will pass you ANI information. While ANI is still spoofable, its
alot less likely that they are spoofing ANI as apposed to CallerID.