{"id":27227,"date":"2024-03-22T17:07:06","date_gmt":"2024-03-23T01:07:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.spokeo.com\/compass\/?p=27227"},"modified":"2024-02-29T17:07:49","modified_gmt":"2024-03-01T01:07:49","slug":"guide-to-neighbor-spoofing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.spokeo.com\/compass\/guide-to-neighbor-spoofing\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is Neighborhood Spoofing? Understanding the Scams and How to Protect Yourself"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Have you ever received a phone call from a number that looks oddly familiar?  The phone number has the same area code and prefix as yours, but you don’t recognize the caller?  This is neighborhood spoofing.  It’s a tactic used by scammers to trick you into answering their calls, so they can then try to exploit you.  Here’s a look at how it happens, what scammers hope to gain from it \u2014 and how you can protect yourself from becoming a victim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is Neighborhood Spoofing?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Neighborhood spoofing is a technique used by scammers, where they manipulate the Caller ID information to make it appear as though the call is coming from a phone number similar to the recipient’s (yours).  By making the call look local \u2014 as if it’s from your neighborhood \u2014 you’re more likely to answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Do Scammers Manage to Spoof Caller ID?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are several ways scammers can spoof phone numbers, but the most common method involves using Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology.  VoIP allows for the easy manipulation of Caller ID information, enabling scammers to make it appear as though they are calling from any number they choose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most conniving might even spoof the numbers of local businesses, government agencies or other trusted organizations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Are Scammers Trying to Do Through Neighborhood Spoofing?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The primary goal of neighborhood spoofing is to deceive the recipient into answering the call. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the call is answered, the scammer may attempt to carry out various scams<\/a>.\u00a0 These might include, but aren’t limited to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n