Trust us, we hate spammers just as much as you do! We want to take this opportunity to explain what spam calls are, why they happen, how to prevent them and what we’re doing about it.

What is caller ID spoofing?

Caller ID spoofing is the act of using a fake telephone number on caller ID, thus masking the real ID and number of the caller. In 2009, the FCC signed the Truth in Caller ID Act into law which bans caller ID spoofing with the intention to harm, deceive or mislead someone.

What are robocalls?

Robocalls are 100% automated and can range from a phone call that plays a prerecorded message to a call that rings but delivers an empty message. We’ve even seen some calls that are just music when you pick up.

These unsolicited calls are more difficult to squash than caller ID spoofing and have recently become such a big issue in the industry that the FTC attempted to crowdsource a solution. In fact, in October 2012, they tried offering $50,000 for a solution to help reduce the amount of these types of calls.

And in 2019, with illegal robocalls costing US$10B a year in fraud, the FCC passed new regulations requiring phone companies to implement STIR/SHAKEN caller ID authentication standards by June 2021 to combat spoofed robocalls.

However, many smaller phone companies were given a deadline extension until June 2023 to comply. The FCC admits robocalls are still on the rise for some providers that haven't implemented the new standards yet.

While there is no way to stop these just yet, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) provides information on call blocking tools and resources available to consumers. It includes tips for avoiding unwanted calls and texts, rules on robocalls, call spoofing, and the National Do Not Call Registry List of call blocking, and labelling services offered by major phone companies.

Understanding spam phone calls

Spam phone calls are becoming an increasing nuisance in our daily lives. These unsolicited calls can range from annoying telemarketing pitches to sinister scams targeted towards stealing our personal information or worse — scamming us out of money.

Definition of spam phone calls

If you look up the definition of spam phone calls on the internet, you’ll get many different answers. But they all boil down to the fact that spam phone calls are unsolicited calls that typically include telemarketing pitches, robocalls, and unwanted communications aimed at selling products or services or are outright phishing scams. Spam calls can have mild to serious consequences, with the worst being financial loss or identity theft.

Types of spam calls

• Telemarketing Calls: Live sales calls made by telemarketers trying to sell a product or service, often unsolicited
• Robocalls: Pre-recorded voice messages delivered by autodialling systems, usually for sales pitches
• Scam Calls: Calls with malicious intent to trick you into providing sensitive information or sending money
• Spoofed Calls: Calls that display a fake or misleading caller ID number, often to appear legitimate
• IRS Scams: Calls claiming to be from the IRS demanding immediate payment of back taxes
• Insurance Scams: Calls offering fake insurance policies or trying to get personal info under false pretences

What happens if you answer a spam call?

A few things can happen if you answer a spam call, and none of them good. Here are the possibilities:

1. The first thing that happens the moment you answer a spam call is confirm that the number is active. This may in turn lead to an increase of spam calls in the future as your number is sold to other telemarketers or scammers.
2. The second thing that could happen when you answer a spam call is that you end up engaging with the scammers. They would then attempt to solicit personal information or sell fraudulent services to you. They often use tactics to create urgency or fear to manipulate their victims into providing sensitive information.
3. And in some cases, the robocalls may be automated systems that play a recorded message. Should you respond or press any buttons, it can signal to the system that your number is valid, which as in the first point, would potentially lead to more spam calls in the future.

The best thing to do if you receive a suspected spam call is to hang up immediately. Do not engage with the caller, and if necessary, report the number to the relevant authorities like the FTC or use the call-blocking features provided by your phone carrier.

Why am I getting so many spam calls?

This is an often-lamented rhetorical question. But there are actually a few reasons as to why you may receive a sudden increase in spam calls.

Data Breaches

Personal information like phone numbers are often exposed in data breaches. In 2022 alone, over 166 million people were impacted by data breaches at companies like Twitter, Uber and WhatsApp. This data often ends up in the hands of scammers.

Publicly Available Information

Sharing your phone number publicly, such as on social media profiles or business listings, makes it easy for spammers to find and target you. Apps that harvest user data can also leak phone numbers to scammers.

Random Number Generation

Spammers use auto-dialers to randomly generate and call phone numbers, hoping to reach active numbers that pick up. If you answer even one spam call, your number is more likely to be targeted again in the future. The rise of cheap VoIP technology has made it easier and cheaper for spammers to make millions of calls. Scammers also purchase lists of numbers from data brokers or the dark web to expand their calling lists.

How to stop spam calls?

It’s almost impossible to stop getting spam calls, no matter how careful you are. But we do have some tips on making it harder for the spammers to call you.

Report spam calls to Grasshopper

If you are receiving spam calls that appear to be from a Grasshopper number, send an email to our security team or call us at 800-820-8210 to report the issue. We can work with you on a case-by-case basis to help block these numbers.

Provide us with as much details as you can, such as the phone number the spam calls are coming from when you received the calls, and any other relevant information. This helps us investigate the source of the spoofing.

We have a zero-tolerance spam policy at Grasshopper. Any customer found to be violating our anti-spam policy will immediately be cancelled or contacted to guide their messaging behavior towards compliance.

Prevent your Grasshopper number from being spoofed

It is possible to prevent your Grasshopper number from being used for caller ID spoofing. Simply register your legitimate outbound calling scenarios through the Free Caller Registry portal established by T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon and their analytics partners. This will help minimize the risk of your number being flagged as spam.

Then, create a contact on your mobile device with all your Grasshopper phone numbers. This can help bypass blocks from mobile device manufacturers that may occur when calls come from an unfamiliar number.

Block spam calls from your end

While we work to address spoofing at the source, there are also steps you can take to block spam calls on your end. You simply need to use the call blocking tools provided by your phone carrier, such as Verizon's Call Filter or AT&T's Call Protect. These services can automatically identify and block suspected spam calls.

On your iPhone, go to Settings > Phone > Silence Unknown Callers to send calls from unfamiliar numbers straight to voicemail.

On Android, open the Phone app, tap the 3-dot menu, go to Settings > Block Numbers and toggle on "Block Unknown Callers."

If a specific number is repeatedly calling, you can block that number directly on your iPhone or Android device through the recent calls log.

How to identify spam calls

Spam calls can be tricky to spot, but there are some common characteristics that can help you identify them:

Unknown or Blocked Numbers

Calls from unfamiliar numbers, especially those from out-of-state area codes, are more likely to be spam. Scammers often use spoofing to disguise their real number.

Automated Voice Messages

If you answer a call and hear a pre-recorded sales pitch or message, it's likely an illegal robocall. Legitimate companies make calls with real people. In cases like this, you should hang up immediately.

Offers That Seem Too Good to Be True

Spam calls often promise free trips, prizes, or drastically discounted products. If an offer sounds unrealistic, it's probably a scam to get you to send money or share personal info.

Urgency and Pressure

Scammers try to create a false sense of urgency to pressure you into making quick decisions. Be wary of calls that insist you must act immediately.

Requests for Personal Information

Legitimate businesses won't call out of the blue and ask for your Social Security number, bank account details, or other sensitive info. If you get a call like this, hang up. If you suspect a call is spam, trust your instincts and end the call immediately. You can also check online to see if the number has been reported as spam.

Most importantly, what are we doing about the caller ID spoofing, robocalls and spam calls?

We’re glad you asked! Our latest and ongoing initiatives at Grasshopper in tackling illegal robocalls and caller ID spoofing include:

• Contacting Carriers. Our carrier told us:
  • This is a widespread issue in the industry
  • They spoof different numbers on every call making it impossible to block the individual numbers
  • Our carrier is working with their legal and law enforcement team to trace the calls back to where they originate.
• Customer Support: We work directly with our customers who report spam calls and assist in blocking these numbers.
• Education and Awareness: We have ongoing efforts on educating our customers about the nature of robocalls and ID spoofing and teaching them how to prevent these calls.

What should you do if you’re getting spam calls?

We’re working with our customers on a one-off basis and doing our best to block these numbers. If you notice something like this happening on your account, please send an email to Grasshopper’s security desk or give us a call at 800-820-8210 so we can address it to the best of our ability.

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