What's the current state of phone-number hijacking

[ChrisGreaves]

A recent news report Imposter scams cost Americans billions hints at voice-cloning, number spoofing and the like. Twenty years ago my (apartment) neighbour fell for the nephew-in-gaol-in-Spain scam. $5,000.

I have felt for ages that if I get a phone call from someone who claims to be a Tax Inspector or a detective and so on, and provides a reference to the official web site where I can see the name, phone number and the like, the logical thing to do is hang up. When the Tax department wants to come after me, they will send me a letter. If I ever murder someone, a pair of suited detectives will hammer on my back door.

Suppose that I think the phone call is realistic. Then I am inclined to write down the guy's name and say "I will call you right back through your main number"; if they are genuine the switchboard will quickly transfer me to the original caller.

But perhaps phone number hijacking has reached the stage where hackers can occupy my phone circuits so that when I dial 1-800-YourCop or whatever the main office number is, hackers can be sitting on my line and re-route my outgoing call straight back into the scam facility?

If we haven't reached that stage yet, how soon are we likely to reach it?

Thanks, Chris

[StuartR]

Here in the UK it is very easy for the hacker to do this on a landline. They wait for you to hang up the phone, then they leave their end still connected and play a recording that sounds like a dialing tone. You pick the phone up again and dial, but they are still at the other end of the call. The solution is to call them back from a different phone.

[ChrisGreaves]

Here in the UK it is very easy for the hacker to do this on a landline. They wait for you to hang up the phone, then they leave their end still connected and play a recording that sounds like a dialing tone. You pick the phone up again and dial, but they are still at the other end of the call. The solution is to call them back from a different phone.

Allright Stuart
That's scary.
But I shall spend the rest of the day wondering how you know so many of these scams!
Cheers, Chris

[PJ_in_FL]

Didn't Alex Guinness play Stuart in Tinker, Tailor, Solder, Spy

[ChrisGreaves]

Didn't Alex Guinness play Stuart in Tinker, Tailor, Solder, Spy

Hi PJ.
I was going to reply with a list of characters that Sir Alex Guinness played in his lifetime, but then realized that it would save time if I presented a list of characters that he didn't play.
Here it is:-

Cheerfully yours, Chris

[StuartR]

But I shall spend the rest of the day wondering how you know so many of these scams!
Cheers, Chris

I'm a security consultant

[ChrisGreaves]

I'm a security consultant

Thanks Stuart; I'm glad for that!
Cheers, Chris