What is Caller ID Spoofing?

Posted on December 15, 2011 by admin

Caller ID Spoofing is a communication tool that allows you to replace your Caller ID information with the information of your choosing. While Caller ID Spoofing—also called Call Spoofing and Fake Caller ID—was originally created for business use, scammers have given the service a bad rap. So how does Caller ID Spoofing work?

History Caller ID Spoofing, which is now available to the public through multiple service providers, was originally used by people with specialized digital connections to the telephone company. Some of these people included collection agencies, law enforcement officials and private investigators. However, with new technology called VoIP—Voice-over Internet Protocol—the service has now been made available to small businesses and individuals.

Technology So how does Caller ID spoofing work then? Doesn’t your phone transmit the number digitally to the phone call recipient? How can that technology be manipulated? Caller ID Spoofing was actually discovered by mistake when someone using VoIP noticed a glitch in the system. He was able to manually input his Caller ID information. In 2005 companies began to provide this service to the public.

How to Use it Call Spoofing is quite simple to use, since Fake Caller ID companies do all the work for you. You set up your phone call on a Web form and enter their actual telephone number, the number of the recipient and the call-back number of their choice. The service will adjust the technology to hide your actual number.

Who Uses It While Caller ID Spoofing has earned a bad reputation from scammers and telemarketers, it’s quite useful for individuals and small business owners. Any individual can use it to help protect their identity. For instance, some large companies have an “opt-in” list of numbers they can call. Once you voluntarily call them, you are considered to have “opted-in” to their marketing list. Instead of being hassled by unwanted phone calls, you can simply use Caller ID Spoofing to avoid the trouble.

Another great use is for individuals who need to keep their identity private from others. It can be a case of a blind date and you don’t trust giving your phone number out, or for people who are somewhat famous around town. Another great use is for business owners and traveling employees who want their personal and home phones to remain anonymous. They can simply enter a better call-back number through Call Spoofing to avoid giving away their personal information. Caller ID Spoofing is a truly useful and innovative service for helping you protect your identity and your phone number.

About the Author: Dave Smith is a Marketing Associate at Itellas, a leading provider of caller ID spoofing services. For more information about call spoofing, please visit www.itellas.com.

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Christmas Wish lists for Small Business Owners

Posted on December 14, 2011 by admin

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! It’s almost Christmas time and the holiday season reminds us of friends, family and gifts. While you’re out buying gifts for everyone else, it may be time to consider buying some gifts for your small business. After all, hasn’t it been good to you this year? Here are the top gifts for your business:

Receipt Scanner If your small business makes plenty of purchases, or if you have a giant shoebox filled with receipts, it may be time to straighten up for the New Year. A Receipt Scanner helps you organize, digitalize and file away all your important receipts from the year, making filing your taxes much easier.

Individual Coffee Maker Coffee is usually a must for any small business, but based on the size of the organization, you may fly through coffee or end up wasting a lot. Other times, employees get stuck making a new pot or worse—reheating old coffee. Show your employees some appreciation this year by buying them an individual brew coffee maker. It helps them gauge how much they are drinking, they can always have a fresh cup and you won’t waste money on wasted coffee.

Seat Cushions Sitting at a computer desk for eight or more hours can be extremely hard on your body, and unless your chairs are ergonomically made your employees are probably feeling the pain. If you can’t afford a whole new set of chairs, consider buying some comfortable seat cushions. They can be attached to any chair and can make a world of difference after a long day.

Caller ID Spoofing Caller ID Spoofing is a tool for any business and it helps your employees be more mobile. If you or your employees tend to be on the go, they can use the service to call from their home phone or cell phone without giving up their information. All they need to do is key in the office name and work number and clients or customers will know how to contact them.

Keyword Optimization Everyone talks about SEO/SEM and how they can grow your business, but do you know how much it can help? Finding a good keyword optimization company for your website can help you become visible to hundreds of new clients and customers. Start the New Year off right with your business booming, it may be an added monthly expense for your business, but it will pay off!

About the Author: Dave Smith is a Marketing Associate at Itellas, a leading provider of caller ID spoofing services. For more information about call spoofing, please visit www.itellas.com.

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Watch out for Holiday Scammers

Posted on December 13, 2011 by admin

We’re in the midst of the holiday season! It’s a time for food, family and friends, but with the fun and excitement of the holidays also comes the stress of last minute-shopping, crazy sales and chaotic traffic. Plainly said, the holidays can be stressful. With so many things to do, to buy and to cook, people are more susceptible to holiday scams. Stay safe this holiday season by knowing how to protect yourself.

The Cash-Back Scheme One of the newest scams that cashiers are doing is the “cash-back” scam. The cashier rings up your purchase and when you select “no cash back” they can override it in their system. They select cash back and never offer your cash. Since you had selected “no cash back” you never think to check your receipt and the cashier can pocket the extra cash. Unfortunately, this has reported happened at major retailers, so it’s important to always check your sales receipt before leaving.

Holiday Buying and Selling Be very cautious around Christmas with holidays sales. Sites like Craig’s List offer used items from sellers in your own neighborhood at a discounted price. Or maybe you’re looking to sell a few things of your own to have some extra holiday spending money. One Craig’s List scam to be aware of is the steal-back. This is when someone offers to buy your large purchase with cash, then waits until you’re not home and steals it back. Since the scammer knows where you live and that you have cash on-hand, it’s an easy steal for them. Around the holidays, you may have gifts wrapped under the tree or hidden in the closet, so the thief has more incentive to come back and rip you off.

Holiday Phone Calls Always be cautious when called for your information. Scammers can find your recent back statements and know which bank you use, your recent purchases and even pieces of your account information. If you receive a call from “Best Buy” or “Wells Fargo” and they seem to know your bank history, be very careful to verify that your caller is who they say they are. If they ask for bank information, tell them you’ll need to run and grab it and that you’ll call them back. Call the verified number and make sure they really need your information.

Gift Card Scam Another new scam taking place is the gift card scam. This is when a scam artist writes down the number on the back of the first and second gift card on the rack. They wait a few days until the gift card has undoubtedly been purchased and activated, and then they use the number online for themselves. This dirty trick is prefect for the holiday season, since many people buy gifts ahead of time, giving the scammer more time to use up the money. One suggestion for gift card buying is to buy only the cards before the counter or ones that require you to scratch off the back to reveal the account number.

Learn more on protecting yourself and your identity on our fake caller ID blog at Itellas.com.

About the Author: Dave Smith is a Marketing Associate at Itellas, a leading provider of caller ID spoofing services. For more information about call spoofing, please visit www.itellas.com.

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How Mobile Technology is Helping Protestors in Syria

Posted on December 9, 2011 by admin

The Syrian Uprising has been a terrifying and eye-opening conflict for the majority of 2011 that publicly started on January 26th when Hasan Ali Akleh poured gasoline on himself and set himself on fire to protest the Syrian government. Since then, over 4,000 protestors and civilians have lost their lives.

What’s interesting about the Uprising is the influence of social media and technology is broadcasting the news to the world, something that may not have been available to Syrians just decades ago. They are now able to get their story out to the rest of the world, instead of slanted government media outlets that mask the true reasons for the conflict.

On February 3rd of 2011, known as the “Day of Rage” was called for, asking protestors to broadcast their rallying to the world for the next two days. The rallies demanded freedom and human rights for all Syrians. In June, the Syrian government tried shutting down all internet access for the people of Syria, who were using it to mobilize and alert the rest of the world.

Now, the Syrian government has gone one step further in banning the iPhone to control the amount of information and video footage that can be taken in the protests. The phones have been used to capture the government violence against protestors. The ban of the iPhone will cut down on citizen journalism, and reduce protestors’ efforts in gaining political reform. Syria has already banned most foreign media outlets from entering the country.

Ironically, the father of Apple, the late Steve Jobs was actually half Syrian, as his biological father was born and raised in Syria. While the oppression continues on in Syria and many citizens are feeling their rights are being further diminished with each passing day, hopefully the technology of camera phones, social media sites and citizen journalism will be able to paint an unbiased story for the rest of the world. It’s easy for Americans to take our rights for granted in the U.S. and we would never imagine having our phones, internet access and documentation tools taken from us.

The kinds of technology we use with our phones can even help us in a bind—we have GPS, call spoofing, access to news and internet, and the right to call whoever we’d like. Hopefully there will still be Syrians brave enough to capture the true story for the rest of the world.

About the Author: Dave Smith is a Marketing Associate at Itellas, a leading provider of caller ID spoofing services. For more information about call spoofing, please visit www.itellas.com.

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Can Celebrities Lead a Normal Life?

Posted on December 5, 2011 by admin

The idea of fame is quite interesting; some people will do almost anything to become famous, while others would love a career in acting or politics without all the hype. One thing’s for sure; fame isn’t always what it’s cracked up to be. So how can celebrities live a normal life?

Staying out of the Media The media is easily a celebrity’s best friend and worst enemy. Because we offer the freedom of press in America, the media is given quite a bit of leeway in its attempts to get the truth. Celebrities have long begged for more protection from paparazzi and invasive reporters, but unless their name is being slandered, a celebrity doesn’t have much defense. Staying out of the media as much as possible is a good start to leading a normal life; celebrities can be themselves, make mistakes and be human without a camera and a reporter there to pick up every detail.

Double Life Sometimes being a celebrity means you can’t expect much privacy. Unfortunately, it’s not just a fan here or a cameraman there. It can consume their lives. Every time they run to the grocery store or go out to lunch with a friend, they are bombarded with fans asking for autographs and pictures. Sometimes living a double life can help a celebrity feel more normal. They can create private social media accounts with a new alias. They can give themselves a nickname for only their friends to know about and they can use caller ID spoofing to make phone calls as their second identity. Sometimes, celebrities have gone so far as dressing different in public or wearing wigs and sunglasses to hide their identity.

Becoming Involved Living a normal life means doing normal things, right? So when a celebrity gets involved in their community, it’s one of the most normal things to do. Working with a charity, or helping out at their children’s school can really help a celebrity feel normal. It removes them from the stresses of Hollywood and gives a whole different group of people a chance to know them. Sure, people will probably be a bit fame struck at first, and will act weird around the celebrity, even in a normal setting. But after everyone realizes a celebrity is just like them— a concerned citizen or parent, they start to get to know them for who they are, and not just the fame.

About the Author: Dave Smith is a Marketing Associate at Itellas, a leading provider of caller ID spoofing services. For more information about call spoofing, please visit www.itellas.com.

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Do you feel safe reporting a crime?

Posted on November 30, 2011 by admin

We’ve all seen the Crime Stopper commercials, where people debate calling in a crime or suspicious activity. They think about it briefly then decide to alert the authorities. Sometimes, the caller is even eligible for a reward for their information and they are guaranteed complete anonymity for their service. What many people wonder, is who exactly is “Crime Stoppers” and how are they different from the police? Could their guaranteed anonymity have any holes in it that would leave me vulnerable to an attack? And most importantly, why would I call them when I could mind my own business and stay safe?

Crime Stoppers is a non-profit 501c3 organization that is actually funded by the government whatsoever. Crime Stoppers encourages local concerned citizens to call in with information about a crime or the whereabouts of a criminal. The organization promises not only to keep your information private, but they use no form of caller ID to identify the caller. While the organization’s main goal is to catch criminals and make their neighborhoods a better place, there have been mixed feelings on calling in.

Among a selection of four survey-takers, two said they would not call the hotline because they don’t want to be involved in any kind of criminal case. One person said they would use the hotline and the fourth said they’d consider it. Is it worth it? Many people are worried for their own safety, so they would hesitate to even call the police unless the emergency is their own. If you’re worried about your identity leaking to the wrong person, you have a couple options for calling in or reporting a crime.

Phone booth A good old-fashioned phone booth is a good way to remain anonymous, but can make you look a bit suspicious.

Caller ID Spoofing Using a fake caller ID service allows you to replace your own caller ID information with another phone number and information. You can replace your ID with “anonymous” and a generic number.

New e-mail address Creating a new untraceable e-mail address is a good way to contact the authorities. Unfortunately, some police departments may not be as technologically advanced and offer a contact by e-mail, so it may present an issue.

Letter to the Authorities One of the best ways to stay anonymous with the authorities is to send an anonymous letter. This is the least traceable way to contact the police, and you can drop off a typed letter at any drop-off.

About the Author: Dave Smith is a Marketing Associate at Itellas, a leading provider of caller ID spoofing services. For more information about call spoofing, please visit www.itellas.com.

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Cool Cell Phone Tricks

Posted on November 29, 2011 by admin

Cell phones can definitely save you when you’re in a bind. They can keep you on schedule, call out in an emergency, and even map out your next roadtrip. Cell phones are just plain useful, but there are some cool tricks you may not know about.

Unlock your Car You can actually unlock your car from hundreds of miles away. If your car using a “keyless entry” remote and you left your keys at home or an office, you can actually call someone at that location and have them hold down the “unlock” key up to their phone. The signal will actually transmit through their phone to your cell phone unlocking your car! It’s a pretty cool trick for people whose keys go missing more than they’d like to admit.

Eavesdrop with Ease It’s no secret that cell phones can help you hear a conversation in another room by leaving your phone on “Record.” The only problem is that cell phones have a short recording time and you may not be able to catch the whole conversation or know when they begin talking. The eavesdrop helps you time your snooping by using two cell phones. What you need to do is leave one cell phone in the room with a pair of earplugs plugged in. This will automatically answer the phone without ringing or vibrating. Since the phone will be hidden, you can call in and listen to the conversation and even end the call when it’s done.

Emergency Contact Of course we have 911 in the U.S., but what would you do if you needed help in a foreign country? It’s good to know that the International emergency number is 112. Pushing 112 in an emergency will find your area and search for the emergency line to connect you. The coolest part about 112 is that you can dial it even if your keypad is locked, making it easy for you in emergency situations.

Disabling a Stolen Phone Losing your phone is a terrible feeling, you don’t know if someone has it or if it’s sitting in a dark corner of a movie theater. If you think your phone’s been stolen, you’ll want to disable it as soon as possible, so someone isn’t racking up hours of chat time on your dime. If you plan ahead, you can record your phone’s serial number by dialing *#06# and copying the 15-digit number. You can then easily disable your phone by contacting your service provider with your serial number.

Reserve Power Did you know you can actually activate your phone’s battery reserve? That’s right, all you need to do is press *3370# and your phone will be given a 50% increase in power.

For more cool phone tricks and tips, check out our call spoofing blog at Itellas.com.

About the Author: Dave Smith is a Marketing Associate at Itellas, a leading provider of caller ID spoofing services. For more information about call spoofing, please visit www.itellas.com.

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Phone Etiquette for Businesses

Posted on November 23, 2011 by admin

Owning a business through a recession can be tough. You need to make the most of your daily interactions and contact with customers to ensure that they are satisfied and willing to return. In order to keep your customers happy, you’ll need to enforce some important customer service guidelines for your employees. Many businesses are making or receiving phone calls daily, and this is the perfect opportunity for you to impress your current and future customers. To make the most of each phone call, make sure your employees are polite and courteous on each call.

Introduction A phone introduction is courteous to the caller. If your employees are making the phone call, the recipient will most likely like to know immediately who is calling them and what it’s in reference to. If your employees are cold calling individuals, they should be honest and upfront about the nature of the phone call. On the other hand, when your employees are answering phone calls, they should also have a quick introduction to let the caller know they’ve called the right business. Many people will become confused if they’re greeted with only a “Hello” and may think they dialed the wrong number. A simple “thank you for calling ___, how may I help you?” does wonders for a business.

Transferring Calls Many times a caller will want to speak to a manager or specific department, making it necessary to transfer their call elsewhere. Transferring lines can be tricky because some employees don’t understand how to handle a transfer. A simple “one moment” then hitting transfer just doesn’t cut it. Customers can become confused and frustrated if their call is in limbo for too long. Have your employees explain the reason for transferring the call, it may be the wrong department or possibly something only a manager can answer. Once the customer understands the need to be transferred, your employee should give the name and extension of the new contact in case the call is somehow dropped, that way they can call back and know exactly who they need to be speaking with.

Proper Goodbye This is your company’s last chance to make a good impression on the customer, so a proper and helpful goodbye is very necessary. Once the customer seems satisfied with their phone call, have your employee ask “Is there anything else I can do for you?” This makes your customer feel taken care of. Using these three etiquette techniques will help you provide the best customer service to your customers.

For more business and telephone tips, check us out at our Caller ID Spoofing blog at Itellas.com.

About the Author: Dave Smith is a Marketing Associate at Itellas, a leading provider of caller ID spoofing services. For more information about call spoofing, please visit www.itellas.com.

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Monitoring your Child’s Cell Phone Use

Posted on November 21, 2011 by admin

Giving your child a cell phone should be an important family decision. The decision should come after much consideration and a mutual agreement between parents. Whether you realize it or not, a cell phone can be a life-altering tool for a pre-teen or young adult, it gives them independence, and a whole new level of social freedom.

They no longer need to call friends from the home phone and they can text and send picture messages without your knowledge. If their phone has access to the internet, there needs to be a whole new set of rules to ensure your child is being safe. However, like anything in parenting, if you become overbearing and suspicious, you’ll never allow your child to learn boundaries and rules, so it’s important to be smart about your monitoring

Establish Ground Rules Allowing your child to have a cell phone should come with a set of rules to follow. They should know exactly who they are allowed to call and receive calls from. There should be limits to their internet use, and they should be taught where cell phone use is inappropriate. Always have an “off-limits” time, such as dinnertime or TV time. Don’t allow your child to become consumed with their phone. Setting ground rules early is the best way to help your child stay on the right path. Writing the rules down makes them more concrete.

Stick to the Rules You can’t have rules without having consequences. Consequences for breaking the rules should be clearly established. Make sure the punishment fits the crime, if your child is texting during dinner, have them do the dishes. If they rack up a $100 bill, have them do chores or get a job to pay for it.

Teach Social Responsibility Social media has made a huge impact on our youth, and they are quick to pick up on the trends. Make sure you talk to your child about cyber bullying, and, if they’re old enough, talk about sexting and texting and driving. It may be uncomfortable, but these are serious issues your child may be facing and not talking about it doesn’t mean it’s not happening.

Lead by Example It’s hard for some parents to see the kind of example they’re setting for their children. When it comes to daily habits and social interactions, you are the best example for your child. Can you expect your child to put their phone down and pay attention when they watch you glued to your phone? Set a good example for them by being socially conscious and aware of your cell phone use.

For more tips and tricks on cell phone use, visit us at our fake caller ID blog at Itellas.com.

About the Author: Dave Smith is a Marketing Associate at Itellas, a leading provider of caller ID spoofing services. For more information about call spoofing, please visit www.itellas.com.

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The Benefits of using an Answering Service

Posted on November 16, 2011 by admin

Running your own business in a slow economy can be extremely difficult. There are constant operating expenses, and sometimes it’s hard to break even. Unfortunately, in a bad economy the first thing many people will do is reduce their marketing efforts or cut back on their staff, which can severely damage their reputation and ultimately affect their sales. One way to cut costs, while still providing excellent customer service is to start using an answering service to supplement your business and to free up time for your employees. Here are a couple reasons why it makes sense to use an answering service.

Customer Service Answering services train their employees the art of customer service. It’s very easy for an employee to rush a customer off the phone when they have other work to be doing, or even worse, another customer in person to work with. Using an answering service can help keep your professional image, since the operators can take their time with your customers.

Operating Costs Answering services may cost you a monthly expense, but they end up paying off in the long-run. If you’re ever understaffed or busy, an answering service can take the place of an employee you pay per hour. Even more of a cost-saver is that you won’t need to pay for multiple lines, or put your customers on hold, since your answering service can answer multiple phone calls simultaneously.

Efficiency If you’re running your own business, time is your most important resource. If you can focus your time and skills on your profession, you can be making much more money than being constantly interrupted by phone calls and listening to voicemails.

Combine with Call Spoofing Another great idea for using an answering service is to only have one phone line in your office that you reserve for current customers, clients or suppliers. When you or your employee needs to make sales calls or phone calls to prospective clients, they can use a call spoofing service to replace the number with your answering service’s number. That way, when and if the client calls back for more information, they will be directed to someone who can help them. The best part about call spoofing is that you can even enter your business name in the ID information, so potential clients and customers will know your business name as well as your answering service number immediately.

About the Author: Dave Smith is a Marketing Associate at Itellas, a leading provider of caller ID spoofing services. For more information about call spoofing, please visit www.itellas.com.

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