Collection Agencies - Caller ID spoofing by collection agencies on Telus phone service? - Canada

a good place to talk about links

RE: Caller ID spoofing by collection agencies on Telus phone service?

Postby patrob69 » Wed Aug 26, 2009 10:12:08 AM

Or better yet...don't call them at all :)
patrob69
Member
Posts: 36
Joined: Thu Jun 19, 2008 01:21:08 PM
Province: ON


RE: Caller ID spoofing by collection agencies on Telus phone service?

Postby bullring » Wed Aug 26, 2009 08:59:04 AM

Buy a throwaway, or call from a phonebooth.
bullring
Member
Posts: 44
Joined: Wed Jun 25, 2008 09:03:47 AM
Province: ON


RE: Caller ID spoofing by collection agencies on Telus phone service?

Postby average_joe » Wed Aug 26, 2009 08:11:47 AM

It was their toll free number. I had a collector admit they have software to unblock people's telephone numbers. I made a complaint to consumer affairs and the general manager denied the allegation. I wish now; I would have recorded thee telephone call. The collectors are not supposed to tell people this and I bet the collector took some heat for it. I never put down my home telephone number when ever I used to apply for credit. The collection agency stated; they got my home telephone number off my application, which I knew that was a lie. I believe that’s why they want people to call the 1-800 numbers, so they can trace people if their telephone numbers are blocked. I always tell people to call from a pay phone or a pay as you go cell phone without a contract.

average_joe
Member
Posts: 2565
Joined: Sun Dec 16, 2007 03:58:17 PM
Province: NS


RE: Caller ID spoofing by collection agencies on Telus phone service?

Postby orestes04 » Wed Aug 26, 2009 08:00:41 AM

Were you calling their 800 numbers when this happened?

Not to belabour the point, but it strikes me as somewhat intrusive that any organization could strip the privacy off of my phone number if I'm calling them on my dime and I chose to use *67 or in your case, the privacy feature.
orestes04
Member
Posts: 59
Joined: Mon Dec 08, 2008 12:07:06 PM
Province:


RE: Caller ID spoofing by collection agencies on Telus phone service?

Postby average_joe » Wed Aug 26, 2009 07:56:48 AM

If you place the call; I believe someone has to answer for the system to pick it up. I know from experience when I used to call portfolio management and contact resources, they would state my name before I even started to speak. I didn't use *67, my number was always blocked from a paid feature from the telephone company.

average_joe
Member
Posts: 2565
Joined: Sun Dec 16, 2007 03:58:17 PM
Province: NS


RE: Caller ID spoofing by collection agencies on Telus phone service?

Postby orestes04 » Wed Aug 26, 2009 07:20:08 AM

So is it definitive that ANI won't work if you call a CAs normal number (eg. not the 800, 866 number) and utilize the *67 feature?

I placed a call and hang up to one of my favourite reps about half an hour ago utilizing this technique and haven't heard back - so we'll see what happens.

orestes04
Member
Posts: 59
Joined: Mon Dec 08, 2008 12:07:06 PM
Province:


RE: Caller ID spoofing by collection agencies on Telus phone service?

Postby Vitzbitz » Thu Aug 20, 2009 01:38:41 PM

AJ, I understand that, but as the linked article describes the ANI system is entirely seperate from caller ID.

My understanding is that the ANI is used for billing details, as when you call a 1-800 (or any toll free version) the company receiving the call pays the toll charges, as such they received detailed billing telling them which numbers called in.

That the system may be used as a telco "trap" by collection agencies is unfortunate, but your fight is with your telephone provider for not properly providing you with the privacy you fee you're entitled to.

I see nothing illegal here. Inconvenient perhaps, but not illegal.

Call the collection agencies at their local numbers and ask to be transfered, call privacy will work. Call them through the toll free numbers and we know they'll capture your number.

Meh. If things were different they wouldn't be the same.
Vitzbitz
Member
Posts: 84
Joined: Sun Sep 30, 2007 11:56:59 AM
Province:


RE: Caller ID spoofing by collection agencies on Telus phone service?

Postby average_joe » Tue Aug 18, 2009 07:07:58 PM

Vitbitz,

I don't use *67 to block my number. I pay a monthly fee of $5.75 to have my telephone number blocked and unpublished. The only people that should see my name and telephone number are 911 if I call them. I can see your point if I had to use *67.I believe this practice is illegal; when they are unblocking telephone numbers of people that pay for the service.

Cheers

average_joe
Member
Posts: 2565
Joined: Sun Dec 16, 2007 03:58:17 PM
Province: NS


RE: Caller ID spoofing by collection agencies on Telus phone service?

Postby Vitzbitz » Tue Aug 18, 2009 02:26:51 PM

Average Joe, there is no mystery to this and I've commented on it before.

Any time you call a 1-800 (or 1-866 or any toll free number) number they are shown your phone number. This cannot be beaten with call privacy (or *67) features.

It's a function called ANI, or automatic number identification.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automatic_number_identification

This is why collection agencies want you to call them back on their toll free numbers, as there really is no easy way of screening the call (there are several work arounds like calling through a long distance provider - ie calling cards which provides a cut-out of sorts, but this is not guaranteed to work).

There is nothing illegal in the practice, but you still may want to complain to your telco provider as they seem to have given you the impression that your private number (unlisted?) provides some level of security.

Vitzbitz
Member
Posts: 84
Joined: Sun Sep 30, 2007 11:56:59 AM
Province:


RE: Caller ID spoofing by collection agencies on Telus phone service?

Postby tormentedbyTD » Tue Aug 18, 2009 02:21:42 PM

I see now that this is a tactic they will use. I tend to screen my calls anyways because of the telemarkters, but now that I know that they do this, I will be sure to be extra diligent when it comes to answering the phone.

I am logging all the dates and times of the calls and will probably continue to do so for a while just to 'collect evidence' before inquiring at Consumer Protection as to whether this would be worth lodging a complaint.

Thanks for the input.
tormentedbyTD
Member
Posts: 6
Joined: Thu Mar 19, 2009 03:47:45 PM
Province: BC


,

Return to Collection Agencies - Discussion Area