Technology

How to stop phone number spoofing and protect yourself from scammers

Published

2 years ago

March 1, 2024

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How to stop phone number spoofing and protect yourself from scammers

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Tired of getting random calls from strangers, wondering whether or not it’s something to be concerned about?

What about when a person calls saying they’ve got a missed phone call from your number?

Or, how about when you see a phone number that looks familiar (perhaps has the same area code), but when you answer, it’s a telemarketer or someone trying to sell you something?

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Woman on her cellphone (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

What is going on here?

Phone spoofing, also known as phone number spoofing, is a deceptive practice that scammers use to trick you into answering their calls. By using software or devices, they can make any number appear on the caller ID, even if it belongs to someone else. This can cause problems for both the owner of the spoofed number and the potential victims of the scam.

WHAT IS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)?

Here’s what you need to know about phone spoofing and how to stop it so that you can protect yourself (and others) from scammers.

Woman on a cellphone at a laptop (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

MORE: HOW TO STAY INCOGNITO AND CONCEAL YOUR NUMBER WHEN CALLING SOMEONE

What is phone number spoofing?

Phone spoofing is when scammers get control of your phone number. They can then use your phone number to steal your data or use it to target other people. Instead of a strange phone number or company coming up in your caller ID, they can pass through scam detection by posing as a number you may recognize. This is known as “neighbor spoofing” because scammers will target people within the same — or nearby — area code, which people are less likely to ignore.

But phone number spoofing can be even more sophisticated. Sometimes scammers can spoof the phone numbers of banks, government agencies, police departments, corporations and more. And when most people see those names come up on their caller ID, they generally feel like it’s important or at least an organization they trust, prompting them to answer and not even think twice about who may be on the other line.

Man frustrated by caller (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

MORE: HOW SCAMMERS USE GOOGLE VERIFICATION CODES TO STEAL YOUR IDENTITY AND MONEY

What are scammers doing with my phone number?

Once scammers get their hands on your phone number, they can do all sorts of things. In one scenario, they may target you and say you owe a bill for something, prompting you to give up sensitive data about yourself.

In more serious scenarios, they can call your phone and tell you they have your friend or family member who’s in danger and that they need you to send money right away. And with AI voice technology that can replicate voices, this is becoming an even scarier reality. Other times, they use your spoofed number against you, committing identity theft as they’ll have access to your number to get through to your accounts.

Woman stressed out on the phone (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

MORE: TIPS TO FOLLOW FROM ONE INCREDIBLY COSTLY CONVERSATION WITH CYBERCROOKS

How to stop phone number spoofing: When your phone number is spoofed to harm others

If you have a feeling that your phone number has been spoofed, there are some things you can do to stop the situation from getting out of hand.

Step 1: Determine if your phone number has been spoofed

One of the best ways to know that your number has been spoofed is if you’re getting lots of calls from people who tell you they’ve received a missed call or phone call from your number. If you don’t know them and you check your call history to see you’ve never called their number, there’s a good chance that your number has been spoofed and was used to try and trick them.

Step 2: Find out how these scammers hijacked your phone number in the first place

Your number may have been leaked in a data breach. Or you may have your number public somewhere online. You may have answered a spam call accidentally in the past. Or you may have permitted a company to sell your phone number (this is more common with telemarketers). At the same time, data brokers could be intentionally looking for this information, and they’re good at finding it. Next, they hijack your number. They physically do this by:

Port-out method: Once hijackers get your phone number via one of the methods above (in addition to other personal information), they contact your mobile carrier and pose as the account holder, aka you. Once they get in, they request a “port-out” of the phone number, which is when they ask the carrier to transfer your phone number to a new carrier or account. Generally, phone companies should see this as a red flag and ask follow-up questions, but savvy scammers can get around this. Once the port-out is approved, the phone number is activated on their new SIM card and they have total control.

SIM-swap method: This is when a phone spoofer convinces the mobile service provider to issue a new SIM card with your phone number. All they need to do is pop the SIM card into their device to get the same access as the port-out method.

Stealing your physical phone: One of the most straightforward ways to hijack your number is one of the most simple: stealing your mobile device and gaining access to it.

Remember, once they have control of your phone number, they may use it to commit identity theft against you, not just as a phone spoof to harm others.

Woman on a phone call (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

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Step 3: Follow these steps if your phone number has already been spoofed

Even if your phone has been “hijacked,” you can still do something about it. Here’s how:

Apologize to the victims: If people start calling you to let you know they’ve received a scam call from your number, apologize to them right away and let them know that your phone number has been spoofed and that it’s being used to target them. This can help them decide what to do next (which we’ll cover later).

Create a voicemail message: If you’re getting a lot of these calls nonstop, you might want to change your voicemail message to let them know what’s happening. This essentially automates the process, and you don’t need to spend your day answering the phone either.

Notify your mobile carrier: Call your mobile carrier to let them know that you’re confident your phone number has been spoofed. They can help you take the next steps to stop it in its tracks.

Change your phone number: Whether or not your mobile carrier advises you to do so, it might be a good idea to consider changing your phone number. It may not stop scammers from using it to victimize others, but it will help you to stop getting notifications.

Step 4: Prevent scammers from spoofing your phone number in the future

If you end up changing your phone number, you’ll want to be sure that you can prevent scammers from taking your number in the future. Here are a few things you can do:

Don’t publicize your phone number online: Don’t ever provide your phone number to strangers or make it easy for them to get your phone number via a verification scam. Additionally, if you’re creating an account for a new website, and they ask about your phone number, try to avoid giving it. It may be difficult with a bank, for instance, which may use your phone number to verify your identity. But if you can avoid giving your phone number, then you should.

Use a data removal service: There are so many websites that can potentially have your data because you may have unknowingly permitted them to do so. By using a data removal service, you can get your number offline.

While no service promises to remove all your data from the internet, having a removal service is great if you want to constantly monitor and automate the process of removing your information from hundreds of sites continuously over a longer period of time. Check out my top picks for personal data removal services here.

Update passwords on your phone: It may go without saying, but make sure your phone’s passwords are updated. You’ll want to create a strong password for your phone and avoid using the same password for multiple online accounts. Consider using a password manager to securely store and generate complex passwords. It will help you to create unique and difficult-to-crack passwords that a hacker could never guess. Also, enable a PIN or biometrics to get into your phone. This is so that if someone steals your phone, they can’t get access to your information.

Man on a phone call (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Stay calm and steer clear: If you have any hunch that you are being scammed, stay calm, don’t panic and immediately hang up the phone. You can also try another tactic, which is asking the spammer a lot of questions to catch them off guard. Sometimes they’ll realize you’ve set them in a trap and will hang up the phone themselves.

Ultimately — no matter how convincing or familiar the story or phone number is — you want to be sure that you aren’t giving any sensitive data or money to these people. If someone is saying you owe a bill, tell them you will call your bank and get back to them. Even if they already know some of your personal information, do not comply. If it’s legitimate, they’ll understand that you need to double-check.

Alert the appropriate parties: Even if you recognize it’s a scam, sometimes these people are relentless. So, if they continue to call you and harass you nonstop (and it’s from the same number), you have some options:

Notify your mobile carrier: Let them know that you’re confident your phone number has been spoofed. They can help you take the next steps to stop it in its tracks.
Notify the FCC: The Federal Communications Commission is the relevant party you’ll want to contact if you continue to get scam calls, whether they are from phone spoofers or robocalls and telemarketers. You can file a complaint here.
Notify the FTC: If you’ve already, unfortunately, fallen victim to a scam, you can report it to the Federal Trade Commission, here.

Don’t get spammed again: You’ve probably noticed that when you get a call on your phone, it will say “scam likely” in red, prompting you to ignore it. Cellphones these days are pretty good at detecting calls from scammers. This makes it more challenging for scammers to do their dirty work. So, they need another strategy to get around it, which is why they phone spoof. But you can outsmart them, even when they use a familiar-looking number:

Use a spam blocker to keep scammers at bay: To keep spammers and scammers away, install a spam blocker on your phone. Many phone carriers already have this service on the phone (as mentioned above), but there are additional apps you can put on your phone as an extra layer of security, like Truecaller.
Block the number on your phone: Depending on what type of phone you have, you can block the actual number from contacting you again. However, keep in mind that phone number spoofers are savvy and are difficult to keep up with. This method is better if it’s a specific number that keeps trying to contact you.
Block robocalls with apps: Sometimes spammers are robots utilized by telemarketers. Some of those scam-blocking apps work against robocalls. But you can also register your number on the national “Do Not Call Registry” to stop them. You can do this by calling 1-888-382-1222 or visiting www.donotcall.gov/.
Utilize data removal services: If you want robots and other spammers/scammers to stop calling your phone number altogether, some apps and services can help you find and remove your data wherever it is on the Internet. These can also be used to protect yourself against phone spoofing.

MORE: HOW TO BLOCK THOSE UNWANTED AND ANNOYING SPAM EMAILS

Kurt’s key takeaways

While phones may have gotten better at blocking spam calls, scammers will stop at nothing to try and trick you. This is why phone spoofing is a good idea for them; they have a much better chance of getting through spam blockers and connecting with you because you may think it’s safe to answer the phone.

We won’t even be able to stop these scammers 100%. But by knowing what to do if your phone number has been hijacked or you’re being targeted by someone else’s phone number who has been spoofed, you can do your part in making sure these people know we’re onto them.

Have you ever had your phone number spoofed? Or have you ever picked up the phone because you recognized the area code, only to realize it was a potential scam? How did you handle it? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.

For more of my tech tips & security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter.

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Technology

Here’s your first look at Kratos in Amazon’s God of War show

Published

2 hours ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

Here’s your first look at Kratos in Amazon’s God of War show

Amazon has slowly been teasing out casting details for its live-action adaptation of God of War, and now we have our first look at the show. It’s a single image but a notable one showing protagonist Kratos and his son Atreus. The characters are played by Ryan Hurst and Callum Vinson, respectively, and they look relatively close to their video game counterparts.

There aren’t a lot of other details about the show just yet, but this is Amazon’s official description:

The God of War series storyline follows father and son Kratos and Atreus as they embark on a journey to spread the ashes of their wife and mother, Faye. Through their adventures, Kratos tries to teach his son to be a better god, while Atreus tries to teach his father how to be a better human.

That sounds a lot like the recent soft reboot of the franchise, which started with 2018’s God of War and continued through Ragnarök in 2022. For the Amazon series, Ronald D. Moore, best-known for his work on For All Mankind and Battlestar Galactica, will serve as showrunner. The rest of the cast includes: Mandy Patinkin (Odin), Ed Skrein (Baldur), Max Parker (Heimdall), Ólafur Darri Ólafsson (Thor), Teresa Palmer (Sif), Alastair Duncan (Mimir), Jeff Gulka (Sindri), and Danny Woodburn (Brok).

While production is underway on the God of War series, there’s no word on when it might start streaming.

Technology

300,000 Chrome users hit by fake AI extensions

Published

3 hours ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

300,000 Chrome users hit by fake AI extensions

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Your web browser may feel like a safe place, especially when you install helpful tools that promise to make your life easier. But security researchers have uncovered a dangerous campaign in which more than 300,000 people installed Chrome extensions pretending to be artificial intelligence (AI) assistants. Instead of helping, these fake tools secretly collect sensitive information like your emails, passwords and browsing activity.

They used familiar names like ChatGPT, Gemini and AI Assistant. If you use Chrome and have installed any AI-related extension, your personal information may already be exposed. Even worse, some of these malicious extensions are still available today, putting more people at risk without their knowing.

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More than 300,000 Chrome users installed fake AI extensions that secretly harvested sensitive data. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

What you need to know about fake AI extensions

Security researchers at browser security company LayerX discovered a large campaign involving 30 malicious Chrome extensions disguised as AI-powered assistants (via BleepingComputer). Together, these extensions were installed more than 300,000 times by unsuspecting users.

Some of the most popular extensions included names like AI Sidebar with 70,000 users, AI Assistant with 60,000 users, ChatGPT Translate with 30,000 users, and Google Gemini with 10,000 users. Another extension called Gemini AI Sidebar had 80,000 users before it was removed.

These extensions were distributed through the official Chrome Web Store, which made them appear legitimate and trustworthy. Even more concerning, researchers found that many of these extensions were connected to the same malicious server, showing they were part of a coordinated effort.

While some extensions have since been removed, others remain available. This means new users could still unknowingly install them and expose their personal data. Here’s the list of the affected extensions:

AI Assistant
Llama
Gemini AI Sidebar
AI Sidebar
ChatGPT Sidebar
Grok
Asking ChatGPT
ChatGBT
Chat Bot GPT
Grok Chatbot
Chat With Gemini
XAI
Google Gemini
Ask Gemini
AI Letter Generator
AI Message Generator
AI Translator
AI For Translation
AI Cover Letter Generator
AI Image Generator ChatGPT
Ai Wallpaper Generator
Ai Picture Generator
DeepSeek Download
AI Email Writer
Email Generator AI
DeepSeek Chat
ChatGPT Picture Generator
ChatGPT Translate
AI GPT
ChatGPT Translation
ChatGPT for Gmail

FAKE AI CHAT RESULTS ARE SPREADING DANGEROUS MAC MALWARE

These malicious tools were listed in the official Chrome Web Store, making them appear legitimate and trustworthy. (LayerX)

How the fake AI Chrome extension attack works

These fake extensions pretend to offer helpful AI features, such as translating text, summarizing emails, or acting as an AI assistant. But behind the scenes, they quietly monitor what you are doing online.

Once installed, the extension gains permission to view and interact with the websites you visit. This allows it to read the contents of web pages, including login screens where you enter your username and password.

In some cases, the extensions specifically targeted Gmail. They could read your email messages directly from your browser, including emails you received and even drafts you were still writing. This means attackers could access private conversations, financial information and sensitive personal details.

The extensions then sent this information to servers controlled by the attackers. Because they loaded content remotely, the attackers could change their behavior at any time without needing to update the extension.

Some versions could also activate voice features through your browser. This could potentially capture spoken conversations near your device and send transcripts back to the attackers.

If you installed one of these extensions, attackers may already have access to extremely sensitive information. This includes your email content, login credentials, browsing habits and possibly even voice recordings.

We reached out to Google for comment, and a spokesperson told CyberGuy that the company “can confirm that the extensions from this report have all been removed from the Google Web Store.”

BROWSER EXTENSION MALWARE INFECTED 8.8M USERS IN DARKSPECTRE ATTACK

Once installed, the extensions could read emails, capture passwords, monitor browsing activity and send the data to attacker-controlled servers. (Bildquelle/ullstein bild via Getty Images)

7 ways you can protect yourself from malicious Chrome extensions

If you have ever installed an AI-related Chrome extension, taking a few simple precautions now can help protect your accounts and prevent further damage.

1) Remove any suspicious or unused browser extensions

On a Windows PC or Mac, open Chrome and type chrome://extensions into the address bar. Review every extension listed. If you see anything unfamiliar, especially AI assistants you don’t remember installing, click “Remove” immediately. Malicious extensions depend on going unnoticed. Removing them stops further data collection and cuts off the attacker’s access to your information.

2) Change your passwords

If you installed any suspicious extension, assume your passwords may be compromised. Start by changing your email password first, since email controls access to most other accounts. Then update passwords for banking, shopping and social media accounts. This prevents attackers from using stolen credentials to break into your accounts.

3) Use a password manager to create and protect strong passwords

A password manager generates unique, complex passwords for each account and stores them securely. This prevents attackers from accessing multiple accounts if one password is stolen. Password managers also alert you if your login credentials appear in known data breaches, helping you respond quickly and protect your identity. Check out the best expert-reviewed password managers of 2026 at Cyberguy.com.

4) Install strong antivirus software and keep it active

Good antivirus software can detect malicious browser extensions, spyware, and other hidden threats. It scans your system for suspicious activity and blocks harmful programs before they can steal your information. This adds an important layer of protection that works continuously in the background to keep your device safe. Get my picks for the best 2026 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android & iOS devices at Cyberguy.com.

5) Use an identity theft protection service

Identity theft protection services monitor your personal data, including email addresses, financial accounts, and Social Security numbers, for signs of misuse. If criminals try to open accounts or commit fraud using your information, you receive alerts quickly. Early detection allows you to act fast and limit financial and personal damage. See my tips and best picks on how to protect yourself from identity theft at Cyberguy.com.

6) Keep your browser and computer fully updated

Software updates fix security vulnerabilities that attackers exploit. Enable automatic updates for Chrome and your operating system so you always have the latest protections. These updates strengthen your defenses against malicious extensions and prevent attackers from taking advantage of known weaknesses.

7) Use a personal data removal service

Personal data removal services scan data broker websites that collect and sell your personal information. They help remove your data from these sites, reducing what attackers can find and use against you. Less exposed information means fewer opportunities for criminals to target you with scams, identity theft or phishing attacks.

Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting Cyberguy.com.

Get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web: Cyberguy.com.

Kurt’s key takeaway

Even tools designed to make your life easier can become tools for cybercriminals. Malicious extensions often hide behind trusted names and convincing features, making them difficult to spot. You can significantly reduce your risk by reviewing your browser extensions regularly, removing anything suspicious and using protective tools like password managers and strong antivirus software.

Have you checked your browser extensions recently? Let us know your thoughts by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.

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Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

Technology

Anthropic refuses Pentagon’s new terms, standing firm on lethal autonomous weapons and mass surveillance

Published

14 hours ago

February 26, 2026

Press Room

Anthropic refuses Pentagon’s new terms, standing firm on lethal autonomous weapons and mass surveillance

Less than 24 hours before the deadline in an ultimatum issued by the Pentagon, Anthropic has refused the Department of Defense’s demands for unrestricted access to its AI.

It’s the culmination of a dramatic exchange of public statements, social media posts, and behind-the-scenes negotiations, coming down to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s desire to renegotiate all AI labs’ current contracts with the military. But Anthropic, so far, has refused to back down from its two current red lines: no mass surveillance of Americans, and no lethal autonomous weapons (or weapons with license to kill targets with no human oversight whatsoever). OpenAI and xAI had reportedly already agreed to the new terms, while Anthropic’s refusal had led to CEO Dario Amodei being summoned to the White House this week for a meeting with Hegseth himself, in which the Secretary reportedly issued an ultimatum to the CEO to back down by the end of business day on Friday or else.

In a statement late Thursday, Amodei wrote, “I believe deeply in the existential importance of using AI to defend the United States and other democracies, and to defeat our autocratic adversaries. Anthropic has therefore worked proactively to deploy our models to the Department of War and the intelligence community.”

He added that the company has “never raised objections to particular military operations nor attempted to limit use of our technology in an ad hoc manner” but that in a “narrow set of cases, we believe AI can undermine, rather than defend, democratic values” — going on to specifically mention mass domestic surveillance and fully autonomous weapons. (Amodei mentioned that “partial autonomous weapons … are vital to the defense of democracy” and that fully autonomous weapons may eventually “prove critical for our national defense,” but that “today, frontier AI systems are simply not reliable enough to power fully autonomous weapons.” He did not rule out Anthropic acquiescing to the military’s use of fully autonomous weapons in the future but mentioned that they were not ready now.)

The Pentagon had already reportedly asked major defense contractors to assess their dependence on Anthropic’s Claude, which could be seen as the first step to designating the company a “supply chain risk” – a public threat that the Pentagon had made recently (and a classification usually reserved for threats to national security). The Pentagon was also reportedly considering invoking the Defense Production Act to make Anthropic comply.

Amodei wrote in his statement that the Pentagon’s “threats do not change our position: we cannot in good conscience accede to their request.” He also wrote that “should the Department choose to offboard Anthropic, we will work to enable a smooth transition to another provider, avoiding any disruption to ongoing military planning, operations, or other critical missions. Our models will be available on the expansive terms we have proposed for as long as required.”