How did a caller make "hello hello" show up as their name?

[mpavilion]

Whoever this was, they're not in my contacts... how did they make my phone display this custom text when they called, instead of just their number (like any other unknown caller)?

Btw -- I saw the call come in, but did not answer it; the caller info just said "hello hello" and the city/state.

 

[C DM]

View attachment 688639

Whoever this was, they're not in my contacts... how did they make my phone display this custom text when they called, instead of just their number (like any other unknown caller)?

Btw -- I saw the call come in, but did not answer it; the caller info just said "hello hello" and the city/state.

Perhaps something from your carrier or that of the caller? For example Verizon seems to have Share Name ID and Caller Name ID: https://www.verizonwireless.com/support/share-name-id-faqs/

 

[Gav2k]

Caller id. Do you not get that over the pond?

 

[44267547]

Caller id. Do you not get that over the pond?

The OP already stated it's not part of their contacts or stored for caller ID purposes, that wouldn't be the answer as to why a vague title appears on the call screen.

OP: The number could be spoofed with a title from an outside source or perhaps through a marketing agency. Third party applications I believe have the option to create false title pretenses.

 

[OllyW]

The OP already stated it's not part of their contacts or stored for caller ID purposes, that wouldn't be the answer as to why a vague title appears on the call screen.

OP: The number could be spoofed with a title from an outside source or perhaps through a marketing agency. Third party applications I believe have the option to create false title pretenses.

It's using CNAM so the name doesn't have to be stored in your contacts.

With appropriate hardware, networking and software, Caller ID can also be associated with a name of the calling telephone number. This service is called CNAM.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caller_ID

 

[44267547]

It's using CNAM so the name doesn't have to be stored in your contacts.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caller_ID

Right. I indicated the name or number doesn't have to be stored in your contact folder.

Our local media outlet reported scammers masking numbers with fabricated names to callers to have the receiving end answer. I actually received one on my work phone two weeks ago. It was a marketing scam out The country and appeared as "Free Time."

 

[Newtons Apple]

With the equipment and software they can make it look like who ever they want from anywhere.

I get so many of these calls I just no longer answer the phone unless they are in my phonebook.

If they leave a message I will call back. Most scammers do not leave messages.

 

[willmtaylor]

With the equipment and software they can make it look like who ever they want from anywhere.

I get so many of these calls I just no longer answer the phone unless they are in my phonebook.

If they leave a message I will call back. Most scammers do not leave messages.

Exactly how I operate since iOS callblock API and/or call blocking apps are less than useless.

 

[Newtons Apple]

Exactly how I operate since iOS callblock API and/or call blocking apps are less than useless.

I also think the NO CALL list is a joke from our government. Likely the spammers have hacked this government list and copied every number. I have blocked and blocked but spammers like "credit card services" use so many different number and locations. Was not too long ago that you got very few spammers on your cell phone but now it seems to be open season!

 

[willmtaylor]

I also think the NO CALL list is a joke from our government. Likely the spammers have hacked this government list and copied every number. I have blocked and blocked but spammers like "credit card services" use so many different number and locations. Was not too long ago that you got very few spammers on your cell phone but now it seems to be open season!

Yup & yup. The same government responsible for FEMA, The USPS, etc., etc., etc. Yet everyone wants bigger government. </PRSI>

My voicemail actually says, "If I don't have your number or know you, I won't take your call, so please leave a message, and I'll call you back as soon as possible."

 

[Newtons Apple]

Yup & yup. The same government responsible for FEMA, The USPS, etc., etc., etc. Yet everyone wants bigger government. </PRSI>

My voicemail actually says, "If I don't have your number or know you, I won't take your call, so please leave a message, and I'll call you back as soon as possible."

Love the message!

 

[SoN1NjA]

Actually, there are apps out there you put "your" phone number in, and call people, and the number that calls the other person come's up as the number you put in as your phone number, but, if you put someone else's number in, it looks like it's from them, and it shows up as <name>

Sorry if that's confusing
You download app > App ask for "your" phone number, but any number works > You call someone > Their phone shows whatever number you put in > If you chose a number that's in their contacts, it'll show up as if John in calling them, not 555-555-5555

So let's say your mum's number is 777-777-7777, if I tell the app my number is 777, when I call you it'll come up on your mobile as Mom (if that's the name you have saved in your mobile)

 

[cbreze]

If you block a number does it stay blocked or does it unblock if I delete the number from missed calls? I believe the call log file auto deletes numbers after awhile, No?
One thing I miss from Android is a good call blocker that actually detects spam calls from the FCC list which is auto updated frequently. I've been getting a lot more spam calls these days than previously.

 

[JackieInCo]

If you block a number does it stay blocked or does it unblock if I delete the number from missed calls? I believe the call log file auto deletes numbers after awhile, No?
One thing I miss from Android is a good call blocker that actually detects spam calls from the FCC list which is auto updated frequently. I've been getting a lot more spam calls these days than previously.

Numbers will always stay blocked until you go in and delete the number from the blocked list.

 

[44267547]

Actually, there are apps out there you put "your" phone number in, and call people, and the number that calls the other person come's up as the number you put in as your phone number, but, if you put someone else's number in, it looks like it's from them, and it shows up as <name>

Sorry if that's confusing
You download app > App ask for "your" phone number, but any number works > You call someone > Their phone shows whatever number you put in > If you chose a number that's in their contacts, it'll show up as if John in calling them, not 555-555-5555

So let's say your mum's number is 777-777-7777, if I tell the app my number is 777, when I call you it'll come up on your mobile as Mom (if that's the name you have saved in your mobile)

There called spoofed applications where they mask your number with a random long number over wifi predominantly. They have been around for years. But, the spoofed number can be linked back to your IP address, which if someone uses the spoofed application in a commission of a crime, it doesn't take much for law enforcement to locate your position, assuming you're with in range or locally, and not abroad.

 

[cbreze]

Numbers will always stay blocked until you go in and delete the number from the blocked list.

Thanks for the clarification.

 

[bradbomb]

I was always under the impression that on a cell phone, only Caller ID number is transmitted. A name is only shown if the number matches a Contact's info in your phone. This used to be known as Caller ID Deluxe.

 

[Bart Kela]

With the equipment and software they can make it look like who ever they want from anywhere.

I get so many of these calls I just no longer answer the phone unless they are in my phonebook.

If they leave a message I will call back. Most scammers do not leave messages.

I'm even more stringent.

I only give out my Google Voice number which forwards to several phones including my cellphone, but I never give out my actual cellphone number (in fact, I have to look up my cellphone number because I don't remember it). The first benefit is that Google Voice filters out known spammers and their database is apparently HUGE. Google Voice receives the call, but won't forward the call (i.e., make my registered phones ring) if the call is from a known spammer. I can see the attempted call, but then I block the caller and file as spam to improve Google Voice's database.

Occasionally, I will get a call directly to my cellphone number. Since I've set up Google Voice to ring my work number, if I'm sitting at my desk and my cellphone starts ringing but not my work phone, that indicates that the caller dialed my cellphone number, not my Google Voice number. If I press the power/mute button, the call ends. If I don't press the button the caller can't leave a message anyhow because I never enabled voicemail with my cellular provider. I'm sure most of these are robocalls from power dialers. If they were legitimately calling me, they'd call the Google Voice number.

I don't do anything with those callers the first time, but if I get a second call from the same number, I add it to a special contact named Ignore Caller which has a silent ringtone, silent text tone, and no vibration.

Legitimate callers will either be in my phone book or will leave some sort of voice message on Google Voice.

 

[C DM]

I'm even more stringent.

I only give out my Google Voice number which forwards to several phones including my cellphone, but I never give out my actual cellphone number (in fact, I have to look up my cellphone number because I don't remember it). The first benefit is that Google Voice filters out known spammers and their database is apparently HUGE. Google Voice receives the call, but won't forward the call (i.e., make my registered phones ring) if the call is from a known spammer. I can see the attempted call, but then I block the caller and file as spam to improve Google Voice's database.

Occasionally, I will get a call directly to my cellphone number. Since I've set up Google Voice to ring my work number, if I'm sitting at my desk and my cellphone starts ringing but not my work phone, that indicates that the caller dialed my cellphone number, not my Google Voice number. If I press the power/mute button, the call ends. If I don't press the button the caller can't leave a message anyhow because I never enabled voicemail with my cellular provider. I'm sure most of these are robocalls from power dialers. If they were legitimately calling me, they'd call the Google Voice number.

I don't do anything with those callers the first time, but if I get a second call from the same number, I add it to a special contact named Ignore Caller which has a silent ringtone, silent text tone, and no vibration.

Legitimate callers will either be in my phone book or will leave some sort of voice message on Google Voice.

You can just block numbers in iOS (rather than adding them to a contact for which a call would still show up on the screen, even if it would be without a ringtone or vibration).

You can also set up your cell phone number to use Google Voice for voicemail purposes just in case there's some legitimate call that might want to actually leave a voicemail.

 

[woodynorman]

I'm surprised no one has thrown out a Baba Booey!!

 

[Bart Kela]

You can just block numbers in iOS (rather than adding them to a contact for which a call would still show up on the screen, even if it would be without a ringtone or vibration).

You can also set up your cell phone number to use Google Voice for voicemail purposes just in case there's some legitimate call that might want to actually leave a voicemail.

Blocking numbers on an iPhone is a more recent iOS feature if I recall. It happens fairly rarely when someone calls my cellphone number twice so I am okay using my old school method.

Also I'm not sure if I upgrade phones if the iOS blocked caller data moves to the new phone. At least with a real Address Book entry, I know that all those old bogus calls move.

As for using using Google Voice's voicemail for my cellphone number, as far as I know there is no legitimate calling to a number as I never give it out. Remember, I can't even recall the number myself. I would simply spend more time culling through Google Voice voicemails.

I've been using Google Voice from before Google acquired the service (Grand Central). I'm glad I continued using it because Google Voice is pretty darned good at identifying spam callers.

 

[C DM]

Blocking numbers in iOS is a more recent development if I recall. It happens fairly rarely when someone calls my cellphone number twice.

As for using using Google Voice's voicemail for my cellphone number, as far as I know there is no legitimate calling to a number as I never give it out. Remember, I can't even recall the number myself. I would simply spend more time culling through Google Voice voicemails.

Blocking in iOS is something that came about a few years ago with iOS 7.

As far as calls to the cell number and Google Voice for voicemail, you are probably right. At the same one in most cases non-legit calls would usually not leave a voicemail anyway. It's more of a "just in case" type of thing, like perhaps the cell provider calling about something or something like that (even if quite unlikely). But, of course, ultimately to each his/her own.

 

[Bart Kela]

My first smartphone was an iPhone 4S running iOS 5. That's when I devised the workaround, two years before call blocking was available natively on Phones.

My cellular provider sends text messages for service related communications. Again, I don't see any current scenarios where a legitimate caller would dial the number that I never give out.

Basically, it comes down to this: if you are a legitimate caller, you call the number I give out. If you do and I don't recognize you, I will let your call go to voicemail and you will leave a voice message if you want to hear back from me. It's very simple and I've operated like this for years.

The burden is on the caller to validate the legitimacy of the call. This is best handled by providing the number ahead of time. At least for personal phone lines, they are a convenience for the person who owns the line, not for the caller.

 

[Newtons Apple]

It is great that we have blocking in iOS but it helps little as there seems to be an inexhaustible supply of numbers for them to use. I do feel it does better that our nation "no call list" which has been a horrible joke on the public.