“What is a Spoof Call?” Exploring the Scam Tactics Targeting Subscribers Today

The surge in call spoofing and impersonation scams exacerbate trust issues among consumers. It is critical for enterprises to tackle the challenge before their customers are defrauded, millions are lost, sensitive data is exposed, and brand reputations are damaged.

What is a Spoof Call?

It is estimated that about 70% of scam calls in the US utilize phone number spoofing to deceive victims, but what is a spoof call?

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) defines call spoofing in the following way:

“Spoofing is when a caller deliberately falsifies the information transmitted to your caller ID display to disguise their identity. Scammers often use neighbor spoofing so it appears that an incoming call is coming from a local number, or spoof a number from a company or a government agency that you may already know and trust. If you answer, they use scam scripts to try and steal your money or valuable personal information, which can be used in fraudulent activity.”

Call spoofing not only puts consumers at risk of falling victim to impersonation scams, but it also puts enterprises at risk. Scammers who are spoofing telephone numbers of legitimate businesses run the risk of disrupting the ability of enterprises to reach and engage with customers and of damaging their reputation.

The Problem with Call Spoofing

The main problem that call spoofing causes is that enterprises remain unaware of it until it is reported. Research data suggests that, in most cases, enterprises do not know that they are being impersonated by scammers until the damage has been done.

‘High-touch’ industries such as banking and healthcare are the most vulnerable to these attacks, because voice calls are the most vital communication channel for them. According to research from industry analysts Frost & Sullivan, customers prefer the personal touch and human interaction of a voice call, as well as the urgency and real-time resolution that the channel offers.

However, without reliable and authentic solutions that provide rich call data on incoming call screens that prove the caller is who they say they are, the voice channel remains vulnerable to scammers. The profound implications of spoofed phone numbers run deep for enterprises. These include:

• Reputational damage to the enterprise
• Erosion of customer trust
• Direct financial loss through compensating victims
• Contact center penalties

How Can I Stop Spoof Calls?

Simply by deploying solutions such as TNS Enterprise Authentication and Spoof Protection and TNS Enterprise Branded Calling.

These solutions enable enterprises to protect their outbound calls and provide customers with peace of mind that when they answer the phone call from an enterprise, it is a legitimate call. It also helps to protect the enterprise’s brand, customer trust in the brand, and ultimately, customers’ personal and sensitive information.

By using a zero-trust policy, which works on the “never trust, always verify” principle, TNS solutions help to ensure that only legitimate and authentication calls are delivered to a customer’s phone, while blocking and flagging fraudulent ones.

Restoring Customer Trust and Protecting Brands

To learn more about how spoof protection and branded calling can help restore customer trust and protect your brand and customers, download our latest executive brief, jointly published with industry analysts Frost & Sullivan, Restoring Customer Trust and Protecting Brands: A Zero-Trust Approach Leverage Enterprise Call Authentication and Spoof Protection. The executive brief covers the following:

• The growth of call spoofing
• Call spoofing scams and their impact on business and consumers
• TNS Enterprise Product Suite solutions, including TNS Enterprise Authentication and Spoof Protection and TNS Enterprise Branded Calling
• Independent research data and case studies

To download your copy, visit tnsi.com/resource/com/restoring-customer-trust-and-protecting-brands-frost-and-sullivan-executive-brief/.

Maurie Munro is Vice President of Enterprise Sales at TNS with specific responsibility for TNS Enterprise Product Suite.