My Caller ID Lied Big Time

[PineRidge]

Earlier today I was sitting in front of my computer monitor when the phone rang on the edge on my desk. It was the house line ringing, and If it's not the business line that rings I'll normally let Rose my wife catch it since the majority of the time it's her sister calling anyway. Anyway I glanced over at the caller ID only to see my own telephone number being displayed in the LCD readout. It caught me completely off guard so I grabbed the phone and quickly answered.

It was the Ohio Trooper's Association calling for a donation. I patiently listened to the whole long winded spiel and then told the caller that I had already donated which I had several months earlier.

I guess my point to this post is that I found it rather cunning for the caller to be able to somehow enter the information and fool my caller ID so that my own number would be displayed at my telephone. Who'll be using this tactic next looking for a donation, the Martha Stewart get out of jail foundation? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[_RaT_]

Interesting. I will have to be alert for that.

 

[MossRoad]

That sounds very odd. Almost impossible. I have a friend that is very knowledgeable about phone systems and I will ask him how this is possible. My hunch would be that they are using part of the emergency system, maybe the 911 center, to make these calls. Just a hunch, no knowledge behind it whatsoever. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[Junkman]

My first question before they even get started into their spiel is "are you a police officer"? If they respond in the negative, then I terminate the call, because they are paid solicitors and a greater percentage of the money that is collected goes to them and only a small percentage goes to the orginization that they are representing. Many orginizations do this because whatever they recieve is considered found money that they wouldn't have received under normal fund raising activities. Personally, I don't donate to unsolicited calls, but I will donate directly to the orginization if they are conducting a fund raising drive, such as the local fire, police, or ambulance department.
I can't speak for the accuracy, however I have been told that some of the Patrolman Benevolent Associations use the money that they collect for purposes other than direct funding of line of duty injury Patrolman benefits. I was told that it is used for Union negotiations, etc. Can anyone tell me if this is truth or fiction? Bird, can you shed some light on this?

 

[fenneran]

I work for a phone company (but in the IT department) and I've seen this happen only a couple of times in eight years. When I ask those who know, they say it is just a fluke. Essentially, the phone system is just a big computer. When someone calls you, the switch they reside on and the switch your phone is on exchange a bunch of information before the call is even placed (unless you are on an old, very rural system). Then, when they both decide that the call can come through (your phone is not busy, etc), the bridge is set up between the two systems. At this point, the "sending" switch sends the callerID info (if it can), but only if they have the option to block callerID turned off (one of those * codes), along with the signal. If any of this process gets garbled, your phone switch may send your number to the phone instead of the caller's by mistake. This is probably what happened in this case, but I would be on the lookout for it again. If it happens, I would call your phone company and have them do a line test on your line to see if there is a lot of noise or if something else is goofy with your record in the switch.
-Frank

 

[gws]

The caller ID number can be made to say anythig by the calling end if they have the proper equipment. The caller ID/name is transmitted from the orginating phine switch. For me and you thats the switch at your phone company. For larger companies they have switches at there site and can set a phone line to send whatever you like. Many companires will have a "main number" that will appear on your caller ID, but you may be calling from an "inside" line number. some charities and collection companies will block caller ID or put some random number and blank name in so that people will not block them.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

I keep the office line forwarded to my cell. And since it's a business line there's no solicitor call block, we're exempt. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

If they call from a PBX system it'll come up "no number" or a number they choose, usually a local one so you'll answer. There's also the computer generated calls that do a hang up if you answer. They want to nail the voice mail or answering machine.

Yesterday a nice young lady invited me to have lunch with the President. I explained to her that while I might enjoy it I doubt anyone else would. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

The state trooper scam is just that. Troopers get less than twenty percent of the donation. They don't call me anymore. But if one gets through I'll ask if it's okay to just give it to the chief, sheriff, etc. That isn't what they want.

And the decal you get if you donate? Do you think for a minute any officer worth a whit is going to notice except to surmise he's stopped a sucker?

 

[Inspector507]

The Ohio Troopers Association has nothing to do with the Ohio Highway Patrol except the 5% or so of what they collect. That said, they couldn't be using the 911 call center /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[fivestring]

The money that our FOP collects goes to several worthwhile causes:
kids fingerprint programs
Easter Seals
death benefits
some community programs
None of it goes to labor negotiations.
All of the money must be accounted for.
We hire companies to solicit for us because of cost. Finding enough volunteers to makes thousands of calls and processing the money isn't an easy task.
Unfortunately, the FOP gets less than 25% of what is collected, but that is still more than we would have gotten trying to do it ourselves.

 

[Richard]

When I got my recent FOP solicitaton for donation, I told them that I'd just paid a $120 fine for having my headlight out (rather than a warning), and they could consider THAT my donation. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif