Sister receiving calls from stranger with same mobile number as our father?

margaretx9

For the last few days my sister has been receiving calls from the same mobile number as my fathers (it comes up with my fathers number) - but a stranger is on the line. My sister cannot understand what the stranger is saying so hangs up.

My father still has his mobile (with that number) and it works fine. So we are just wondering what is going on?

Is this a possible scam? My sister was the victim of a handbag snatch recently - and had some cards/money taken - but her phone/ipad wasn't stolen.

It just seems bizarre. I can understand the possibility of the same number being given to two people - but how would the other person have my sister's mobile number.

elsien

Has your father contacted his mobile provider to ask the question?

Enterprise_1701C

Did the handbag have a note of phone numbers in it? It is possible to make it look like one number is calling whilst it was really another one.

Also, is she sure it is a stranger? Could it be that your father is pocket dialling her and she simply cannot identify it as him? Is it worth checking if the calls came from your father's phone?

margaretx9

Enterprise_1701C wrote: »

Did the handbag have a note of phone numbers in it? It is possible to make it look like one number is calling whilst it was really another one.

Also, is she sure it is a stranger? Could it be that your father is pocket dialling her and she simply cannot identify it as him? Is it worth checking if the calls came from your father's phone?

She doesn't recollect so.

But what would be the purpose of doing this anyway - the caller is unintelligible and speaks very poor English. Why call someone's phone 'pretending' to be calling from their father's number (assuming that is the case) - and keep doing so?

My father's mobile company finds no issue with his account and all calls made on it - according to his account - are his and he has only made two calls to my sister (at different times to these incidents). So we are at a bit of a loss!

I have received no such calls from this stranger.

Exemplar

This 'could' be spoofing. It's very simple to do from a SIP/ VoIP phone where you can set the outbound presentation number display to be anything you want. If you gave me your mobile number I can call you back from your mobile number easily within 2 minutes (please don't though lol!). It may be that a foreign mass marketing company has chosen this number.

A lot of firms change their outbound presentation so you think you are being called from London when they are actually in India etc.

As for what to do? Normally these things have a short lifespan as the number will be changed every few days.

If you are really concerned yo may be able to change your mobile number - there may be a charge for this without hard evidence though.