Call Spoofing

Overview

Call spoofing occurs when a third party fraudulently uses a phone number they do not own to disguise their identity when placing calls. In rare cases, callers may report receiving calls that appear to originate from a Sharpen client's phone number, even though no call was placed from that number by the client or their agents. If this occurs, it is important to verify whether spoofing has taken place and report it to the appropriate authorities.

As defined by the FCC:

"Caller ID lets consumers avoid unwanted phone calls by displaying caller names and phone numbers, but the Caller ID feature is sometimes manipulated by spoofers who masquerade as representatives of banks, creditors, insurance companies, even the government."

How to Identify Spoofing

A key indicator that a number has been spoofed — rather than a call being placed in error — is that the call will not appear in your Sharpen call records as an outbound call. If a caller reports receiving a call from your number but no corresponding outbound call record exists in Sharpen, this is a strong indication that your number has been spoofed.

Reporting a Suspected Spoofed Number

If you believe your number has been spoofed, contact Sharpen Support and provide the following information to assist with verification:

• The phone number that was spoofed

• The date and time of the reported call

• The phone number of the person who reported receiving the call

Next Steps

If spoofing is confirmed, Sharpen recommends following the FCC's official guidance on how to handle and report the incident:

FCC — Spoofing and Caller ID Complaint Center