Security with VoIP

I've started dabbling with VoIP. I've got a Sipgate Basic account (just got in under the wire with the free service !)

Last week I used the number for Lloyds Bank to ring me back on to confirm a payment. Worked fine, however seconds later I received a 'silent' call from a Guernsey registered mobile number. 07781 098 765

On investigation, (sticking the number into Google) it seems quite a number of people have received a call from this number seconds after a genuine bank verification call.

What's going on ? Are the others on VoIP too ? Are spammers taking a sniff of VoIP calls ?

Scammers just dial every number in a range, or your number may have been previously used and on a database that has been hacked.

Honestly had almost no scam calls on Sipgate and I have several numbers/accounts with them over many years. All mine are geographic numbers 020 or 01473 based to reflect home / work locations.

I used to get a ton on my mobile and scam texts, however been pretty good recently there too (presumably down to co-ordinated action by the mobile operators)

Are you using 056 or geo number?

In your ATA have you set it so only calls from Sipgate server get through?

I’m using a soft-phone on my mobile. Saying that however you should not have your setup to accept any direct calls or anonymous SIP calls unless you’re prepared for the security risk.

I get hardly any spam calls on my VOIP accounts where the last part of the number was allocated by a VOIP service provider. I get more spam calls on a VOIP number which was ported from BT.

From what I have read it is possible to hack a Voip Account: I don't know if there is hacking or not but from my personal experience regarding Voip Local Numbers there are definitely far fewer nuisance calls/spam calls with a Voip number.

Prior to my moving to Sipgate Voip Number I had a lot of nuisance calls on the old copper landline number which I decided not to port.

I then found that with the Sipgate Voip Local Number I have had zero nuisance calls.

I also have a Voipify Account with a local voip number and once again zero nuisance calls with that Local Voip Number.

Regards,
Fido

It's a geographic number, the same area code I live it. Had it a couple of months. It's not ported in from BT etc. This is the only spam call I've ever received.

I'm not surprised to receive a spam call, I realise they are just a result of randomly ringing numbers.

My concern (which no one seems to have picked up on) is the call arrived seconds after receiving a genuine call from Lloyds Bank, and reading up the matter, it seems exactly the same number has attempted to ring other people seconds after they have received a genuine bank call too ?

Edited by broadbandjockey (Fri 30-Sep-22 08:41:55)

In reply to a post by 1nitram2:

In your ATA have you set it so only calls from Sipgate server get through?

I don't know. It's a Grandstream VoIP phone. However, the number shows up in my Sipgate call log online, so presumably it arrived via Sipgate's server ?

In reply to a post by broadbandjockey:

It's a geographic number, the same area code I live it. Had it a couple of months. It's not ported in from BT etc. This is the only spam call I've ever received.

I'm not surprised to receive a spam call, I realise they are just a result of randomly ringing numbers.

My concern (which no one seems to have picked up on) is the call arrived seconds after receiving a genuine call from Lloyds Bank, and reading up the matter, it seems exactly the same number has attempted to ring other people seconds after they have received a genuine bank call too ?

Indeed so. Check out the reports for the number at Who Called Me?.

In reply to a post by GonePostal:

In reply to a post by broadbandjockey:

It's a geographic number, the same area code I live it. Had it a couple of months. It's not ported in from BT etc. This is the only spam call I've ever received.

I'm not surprised to receive a spam call, I realise they are just a result of randomly ringing numbers.

My concern (which no one seems to have picked up on) is the call arrived seconds after receiving a genuine call from Lloyds Bank, and reading up the matter, it seems exactly the same number has attempted to ring other people seconds after they have received a genuine bank call too ?

Indeed so. Check out the reports for the number at Who Called Me?.

Yes !! That's exactly what I did !

Here's the number plugged into that site

https://who-called.co.uk/Number/07781098765

I wonder if this issue is associated with maybe a third-party provider the banks uses to provider this service (as its happening with more than one bank), it could be as simple as someone has left a test number in the code somewhere.

In reply to a post by dect:

I wonder if this issue is associated with maybe a third-party provider the banks uses to provider this service (as its happening with more than one bank), it could be as simple as someone has left a test number in the code somewhere.

That had crossed my mind too, perhaps a 'ghost' number ?

Seems to have only affected Lloyds and HBOS customers (probably use the same internet banking engine)

Have you informed your bank and told them about other people having the same problem? You could perhaps do this by letter or a private email if the bank has such a system.

In reply to a post by Michael_Chare:

Have you informed your bank and told them about other people having the same problem? You could perhaps do this by letter or a private email if the bank has such a system.

No. I'm reluctant to do that for now, because their first reaction will be to reset all of my home banking parameters which will be a huge PITA, when it may all just be a red herring.

I'll revert to using my mobile phone number for future authorisations ?

On the face of it seems related to their systems, rather than telephony / VoIP service provider.

Must say never had anything like this, but don’t personally or business bank with Lloyds / HBOS.

Post deleted by andynormancx