Well I haven't talked to my sister in over a year and yesterday I got a phone call on 2 differetn numbers at my home with her name and number. My husband called and she said she never called that she was at work. We have a bill in dispute long srory and they have contacted her about it several times per day and she claims that when she called the phone company they said that the collection agency has a way of making it look like someone else is calling. They can do this with their computer is some way. Has anyone heard of this or know if this is really possible? It't funny because we got a phone call for my sister n law only once because we claimed to have no contact with her. I am going to file a complaint with the attorney generals office. I was so upset over this I couldn't breath the thought that these people can now harass other people.

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yes, it is possible to do (make it appear that the number belongs to someone else...).

I do not know if it is legal, though.

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It's all too easy to do, and is currently legal. There is a big push against it.

Here's an article that may clarify a bit:

USATODAY.com - Caller ID spoofing becomes all too easy

Wow Thanks for the article. The world of Computers have really caused some issues of privacy.

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we have had the same thing happen. the number showed up as a friend of mine and it was someone trying to sell windows!
what a pain in the a&&

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At the last place I lived we had bill collectors calling ,wanting us to get them info on the neighbors acoss the street.Like its any of our business.I can't believe they actually expect you to go across the street and ask someone you hardly know for their phone number so the bill collecters can call them.That is rediculous and I wouldn't do it ,so they kept calling and changing collection agencys.
If you have your phone number in the phone book ,hope that none of your neighbors are in debt!

I really do not think it is that difficult to do. When my dd was in middle school there was a girl that endlessly harrassed her. DD started getting phone calls harrassing her from this girl.. when I would answer the phone someone would ask for my dd and when I asked who they would give a name of my dd's friend. So I would get dd and it would be this girl. I got the number from caller ID and called but always got a diconnected number so then I got the address and went to the door of that house. It turned out to be a young couple who had no children and did not even know this girl. I asked them about the name on the caller id. they told me it was the name of the person that they bought the house from 6 months ago. I searched and found that the phone number popping up was indeed the previous owners phone number and name. And there was basically nothing I could do because I could not prove this girl was harrassing my daughter through the phone number that was disconneted.

They just use the public databases like Zabasearch etc. I constantly receive phone calls for someone who had this number over 2 1/2 yrs ago! And once we got a call about my husband's brother's son whom we have not seen in over 15 yrs just because we have the same last name.

It is perfectly legal.

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Does your sister have a party line that she is unaware of?Maybe the phone company has her set up with a party line by mistake.

No she doesn't

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I would suggest that if you haven't already--if you are disputing a debt, then you should do so in writing. Also include in your letter that they do not have your permission to contact you or anyone else by phone and must initiate all contact in writing.
And when you mail it, send it signature required, delivery confirmation, certified mail! I'd give them 2 weeks (up to 10 business days), and then if they call again, document it and contact your states attorney general office. The collection agency can be fined for harassment. They have every right to contact you up to one time a day at an hour that is considered "reasonable" but they can not harass or threaten or intimidate.

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Mental that one, I'm telling you. ---Ron Weasley, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets"

That is why we don't even use our lan line phone.We were getting 20 calls a day from misc. bill collectors for the person who had our phone number before we did.Evidentally we got stuck with a very badly used phone number when we got our phone service.Anyway,the phone soliciters do not care how many times you tell them that you are not so and so and you do not know who so and so is and that you are dollydeal of bla,bla bla, they still keep calling at all hours ,everyday,several times a day and you could whistle in the phone till your blue in the face ,they will NEVER stop calling.

I just posted about something of the same sort just last week. DH was having people call and come in the shop very upset. Someone was calling people and DH business name/number was coming up on their caller id's. It wasn't DH though, he owns a Napa Auto Care and the people using his number was selling satellites. One of them that was called just happened to be a customer of Dh's and knew something was up when he answered the phone. It was a complete PITA.

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They called about my dad for a long time and I was actually afraid to answer my own phone too,like I did something wrong. I asked to speak to a supervisor and they took my name and number off the account and put a do not call note or something on it and it finally stopped.

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Thanks for the link. Wow, I had no idea that this was possible.
Caller ID spoofing for the purpose described in the OP seems fradulent. IMO, this should be illegal.

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Real eyes...realize...real lies.

You were lucky.That never worked for me.The companies would just keep hiring new collection agencys and it would start all over again.

Heh, I get collection calls for a friend of my husband who used to live with us a couple of year ago. Mostly medical bills but some electric, food, car etc due to her quarter million (yes you read that right) in medical bills that obviously she defaulted on... Along the way she moved back with her boyfriend, and got evicted a few times and we lost track of her. I find I have the most success getting the collection agencies to stop calling me if I tell them the truth - which is - nope, don't know where she is, she moved back in with her abusive boyfriend, we haven't heard from her in over a year and we figure he finally killed her.. and oh yeah, she owes us money too so even if I did find her I'd get mine before I told you. Oddly that usually works just fine... course eventually a new bill surfaces, or they sell her account but we just keep saying the same thing and they always go away again.

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I got harrased for months for a bill someone with the same name as me owed. I was getting called weekly, by very rude collection agents. I was told that I was the person they were looking for, and that I would pay them or else. I finally got to the point where I got really nasty with them. The person they were looking for lives 100 miles from me. I did know where the person lived because she is related to someone I know. I even gave them the town she lives in, and they still bugged me. After I told them I was going to see a lawyer....the calls stopped.

Well UPDATE Last night a phone call came in from my Husbands business line to my house phone. When I picked up and realized it was the collection Co. I said to her you just spoofed my house and I don't appreciate this especially in the middle of dinner. She acted stupid and said what are you taliking about. I said well your on the other line yet my husbands companies phone came up that is spoofing and I said I will be having my attorney call you. Instead of being arrogant this time she changed her tune. Lets see what happens.

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