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Telephone Fraud

Caller ID Spoofing

It's important to understand what Caller ID Spoofing is, and how it might affect you. In short, it's possible for a malicious agent to make calls that appear to come from phone numbers other than their own. Spoofing is often used as part of an attempt to trick someone into giving away valuable information so it can be used in fraudulent activity or sold illegally. Further details may be found at this page published by the FCC on the topic: Spoofing and Caller ID. A short excerpt from this page (as of 6/27/18) is included below:

What you can do if you think you're being spoofed:

You may not be able to tell right away if an incoming call is spoofed. Be careful about responding to any request for personal identifying information.

  • Never give out personal information such as account numbers, Social Security numbers, mother's maiden names, passwords or other identifying information in response to unexpected calls or if you are at all suspicious. 
  • If you get an inquiry from someone who says they represent a company or a government agency seeking personal information, hang up and call the phone number on your account statement, in the phone book or on the company's or government agency's website to verify the authenticity of the request.
  • Use caution if you are being pressured for information immediately.
  • If you have a voice mail account with your phone service, be sure to set a password for it. Some voicemail services are preset to allow access if you call in from your own phone number. A hacker could spoof your home phone number and gain access to your voice mail if you do not set a password.

Harassing or Annoying Calls 

If you feel threatened, please contact UCSC Police at 9-2231 (831-459-2231). The UCSC Police will take a report.

Contant UCSC telecommunications at 9-5771 (831-459-5771) to request assistance with the following:
  • Blacklisting incoming calls from a certain number
  • Changing your campus phone number
  • Obtaining records of previous calls to or from your phone number
Note regarding telemarketing calls:

Campus telephone numbers may be added to the National Do Not Call Registry using the full 10-digit phone number (831-459-XXXX or 831-502-XXXX). To do so, simply visit www.donotcall.gov and click on 'Register Your Phone'.

The following is a guide published by the FCC regarding unwanted phone calls: Unwanted Calls Consumer Guide