Someone is spoofing my business number — what can I do?

How to tell spoofing from a compromise

Check your outbound call log. If the calls people are reporting do not appear there, the calls were not placed through your system; the number was simply displayed by someone else. If they do appear, treat it as a possible toll-fraud incident and contact support immediately.

Spoofers pick numbers that look local and trustworthy. A business number with a real name attached is attractive because people are more likely to answer. Being targeted is unpleasant but it is not evidence of a security problem on your side.

What to do while it is happening

• Keep a simple log of the reports you receive: date, the caller's number if they share it, and what the spoofed call said.
• Add a short line to your main greeting, such as a notice that your number is being misused and that you never ask for payment details by phone.
• Post the same notice on your website and social channels so customers who search your number find your explanation.
• Tell staff how to respond to angry callers: apologize, explain briefly, and do not argue.
• Report the spoofing. In Canada, complaints about unwanted or misleading calls can be made to the CRTC, and suspected fraud to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.

How caller ID authentication helps

Calls placed through 3CTel carry a STIR/SHAKEN signature attesting that your business is entitled to use your number. Spoofed calls placed elsewhere either lack that attestation or carry a weaker one, so receiving carriers and phones can show them as unverified. This does not prevent spoofing, but over time it makes your genuine calls easier to distinguish from fake ones.

Changing your business number is rarely worth it. Spoofers rotate numbers frequently, and the disruption to customers of a new number usually outweighs a campaign that ends on its own.