Spoofing is a term coined by hackers in the 70′s for impersonating someone else. There are many theories as to how it was derived, but most agree it is based on the idea of referring to parody as a “spoof”.
In the context of Caller ID, Spoofing is used to make the phone system think you have a different phone number than you actually do. This way, when you call someone, their caller ID will show the number you want them to see, not the number you’re actually calling from. Famously their have been some people who’ve used this for nefarious, hilarious, and highly dubious purposes.
Prior to the advent of Voice Over IP, Caller ID spoofing was difficult and required extensive knowledge and skill to properly execute. However, since the proliferation of internet based telephony, it’s now possible to show any number with no skill at all. Also, services like Spoofcard let you record calls and change your voice as well. Long gone are the days of learning the inner workings of telephony.
If you’re curious how the whole process works, Spoofcard lets you try their service for free. Check out the banner on the left of Click Here!
