[VoiceOps] Can't Figure This Scam Out

[Mark Wiles]

I’ve been seeing a similar issue in the past week or so with a pest control business we provide services for… they’re getting calls that were meant to be for other pest control businesses.
It’s starting to look like it’s related to TNs seen in web searches… and in call cases, the TNs are not those of the primary business… but a Google number (owned by BW).
It seems like maybe Google is having an issue?



From: VoiceOps <voiceops-bounces at voiceops.org> On Behalf Of LICT VoiceOps via VoiceOps
Sent: Thursday, November 11, 2021 11:02 AM
To: VoiceOps <voiceops at voiceops.org>
Subject: [VoiceOps] Can't Figure This Scam Out

One of our clients is a small private school.

For the past month, the school has been getting calls meant for other schools in the general area (within 20 miles or so)

We have been able to get limited information from the caller like what number did they dial. They are definitely not dialing our client's DIDs.

It seems that they are dialing a number that they found on an internet search, and the call is then forwarded to one of the DIDs at the school.

We are seeing matching CDR records for our PBX and our carrier's CDR billing reports, so it does not look like a SIP hack.

It seems that the number is forwarded for just a few minutes to our school, then goes dead, or rings busy, no longer forwarded to our client.

The pattern here is that the caller obtained the number from an internet search of a school in the area. These are real people calling, as we have been able to call them back and verify. The callers who reached our client are as bewildered as we are.

I am sure this is some sort of scam -- but I can't figure out what it is. Are the scammers recording the lines and seeing if they hear financial information? Seems like a longshot, but that is the only thing I can think of.

I know there is little that can be done to prevent a call being forwarded to you upstream of the carrier, but would love to hear anyone's thoughts about this.




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