Saturday, February 21, 2009
Unmasking anonymous callers
Ever get an "unknown number" calling you? Well, there's a new service that may be able to unmask those anonymouse callers.
"TrapCall, which is offered by TelTech Systems, reveals the phone numbers of and, in some cases, the names and addresses of blocked Caller IDs. Toms River, N.J.-based TelTech is also the company behind the controversial SpoofCard, an Internet calling-card service that allows users to place calls in which originating caller numbers appear to be something completely different--like the White House switchboard. "
Like many already know, cell phone users can dial *67 before calling to shield their number, as well as simply setting their caller ID so that it doesn't show up. TrapCall takes advantage of the fact that 800 numbers are immune to this.
"TrapCall instructs new users to reprogram their cell phones to send all rejected, missed, and unanswered calls to TrapCall's own number. When a blocked or restricted number appears on a cell display, the user presses a button on the cell that is normally used to send the call to voicemail. The call is then rerouted to TrapCall's toll-free line, where the caller's information is obtained and then sent back to the original call's recipient. All this reportedly takes about six seconds while the caller is listening to a normal dial tone. "
TrapCall is currently available to those using T-Mobile and AT&T, but there have been some issues raised regarding privacy.
I think the whole thing is pretty cool, but kind of scary. I'd rather not know who is my unknown caller sometimes. And yeah, the whole privacy thing... D;
Musil, S (2009, February, 17). New service unmasks anonymous cell
callers. CNet, Retrieved February 21, 2009, from
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-10166455-94.html?tag=TOCmoreStories.0
"TrapCall, which is offered by TelTech Systems, reveals the phone numbers of and, in some cases, the names and addresses of blocked Caller IDs. Toms River, N.J.-based TelTech is also the company behind the controversial SpoofCard, an Internet calling-card service that allows users to place calls in which originating caller numbers appear to be something completely different--like the White House switchboard. "
Like many already know, cell phone users can dial *67 before calling to shield their number, as well as simply setting their caller ID so that it doesn't show up. TrapCall takes advantage of the fact that 800 numbers are immune to this.
"TrapCall instructs new users to reprogram their cell phones to send all rejected, missed, and unanswered calls to TrapCall's own number. When a blocked or restricted number appears on a cell display, the user presses a button on the cell that is normally used to send the call to voicemail. The call is then rerouted to TrapCall's toll-free line, where the caller's information is obtained and then sent back to the original call's recipient. All this reportedly takes about six seconds while the caller is listening to a normal dial tone. "
TrapCall is currently available to those using T-Mobile and AT&T, but there have been some issues raised regarding privacy.
I think the whole thing is pretty cool, but kind of scary. I'd rather not know who is my unknown caller sometimes. And yeah, the whole privacy thing... D;
Musil, S (2009, February, 17). New service unmasks anonymous cell
callers. CNet, Retrieved February 21, 2009, from
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-10166455-94.html?tag=TOCmoreStories.0
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