SpoofApp: Fake Your Caller ID and Voice on the iPhone
Though it would have been better if SpoofApp had been around for April Fools' Day, there's still plenty of uses we can think of to fake (or "spoof") your caller ID. Yes, most of these are for reasons involving practical jokes. Not all, though, there are definitely legitimate uses for spoofing your caller ID -- everything ranging from conducting business from the road to checking in on your kids. So, when one of our readers wrote in about SpoofApp, we thought we'd spread the word.
SpoofApp is a native application for the Apple iPhone that lets callers pretend they are calling from a phone number other than the one they are actually calling from. It's dead simple to use, also. Once you've installed SpoofApp, you simply enter your Spoof Card details, the number you want to call, and the number you want to appear you're calling from -- and hit "Call". The person receiving the call will see the incoming call from whatever number you specified!
Here are a few suggested uses:
1) Think your boyfriend/girlfriend is cheating on you? Call from the suspected mistress' phone number and see how he answers the phone.
2) Want to check in on your kids, but don't want them dodging your calls? Call from a number you know they'll answer.
3) One of your co-workers avoiding your calls? Call from the boss' number.
4) Call a landline from popular known phone numbers and have the receiver see the name displayed with the number.
Your ideas are probably better than mine. But, play nice!
Anyway, to use SpoofApp, you have to do two things: 1) install SpoofApp and 2) get a SpoofCard with minutes (yes, this isn't free, although it is very inexpensive).
Here are some brief instructions on how to install SpoofApp via Installer (from SpoofApp.com).
1) Launch Installer
2) Install Jiggy Runtime from the Development category
3) Install SpoofApp from the Toys category
4) Launch SpoofApp and press the Settings button at the top
5) Enter your Spoof Card details
6) Enter the number you want to call and the ID you want to fake and hit Call
The Spoof Card also lets you change your voice and disguise it as a man, a woman. Have fun, and remember, don't do anything you wouldn't want someone to do to you.
You can buy a Spoof Card and minutes and get your Spoof Card PIN number by clicking here.
I thought this app was cool until I read iSmashPhone's review...they reviewed Spoof's privacy policy and pointed out that Spoof reserves the right to distribute your information. (like phone number, email, name .... not credit card number)
check out their post yourself http://www.ismashphone.com/2008/05/spoof-app---mas.html
I did a bit of checking around when writing this up and found those suggestions to be misleading. I'm no lawyer, so I'm not sure about their privacy policy. However, their website does state:
"SpoofCard is built around the principle that only you can access your data. We undertake never to reveal any data to anyone, unless required to do so by law."
By law seems to mean if you do something illegal, and they get contacted, they aren't going to protect you, as they state:
"Your financial, personal and call records are all confidential and are untraceable. However, if there is illegal activity and we are served with a subpoena, we will cooperate with the court."
In my searching around about SpoofCard and the app, I didn't find anyone complaining about getting spam, either. They'd be shooting themselves in the foot by giving stuff away to spammers, anyway.
I certainly dont appreciated someone doing this and trying to access my address by using pizza hut and saying they have some pizzas to deliver and they are there and need to get paid...so whats the address. This sounds like its gonna be a disaster about the time someone shows up at someones house. Pretty illegal if you ask me.
i've been using spoofcards for over 6 months now and haven't had any problems with spam. they're hilarious!!!
which the type of iphones it running with, is 3G running with ?? there was a change in voice realy, normal and real ??
This app is sweet!
is there a way that this app may work in other countries than U.S.A and canada
Is there a way to get this app for the iphone 3gs free?
Is there a way to get this app free before I buy it....
hey is there a similar app that uses this same method but instead of making calls it's used to send text messages using a fake number, or number you want to put??
whats the name of the app
Okay well this spoofcard or whatever it is a bad idea because someone called me from my number and threatened to kill me and two of my friends from person that we don't even know knew are names and addresses, but the weird thing is when he called me out and i backed up to he disappeared.
Well, that's it! We really need to just ban everything. Let's not take any chances!
AAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well, that's it!
We really need to just ban everything.
Let's not take any chances!
AGH!
as cool as this may sound to some of you it is VERY DANGEROUS. There are way too many child predators out there luring children by pretending to be someone else via internet and text messaging. This would be extremely dangerous if it fell into their hands. I personally think that this should be illegal and that this app be stopped for the safety of our own children
I'm glad someone is smart enought to see how dangerous this is instead of raving about how "cool" it is. I'm from a very small town in Louisiana called Stonewall. Last week in our small and thought to be safe town a 12 year old boy, Justin Bloxom, was murdered by a convicted sex offender. Justin was lured into the culprit's taxi cab because the offender posed as a young girl on a social networking site and eventually Justin and his killer exchanged phone numbers and began texting. This most definitely should be illegal. We have to protect our children!
That's just plain bs, protecting our children is such a non argument. Properly educate your children and you won't need to protect them.
What are u a moron? How u gonna educate ur kids when they're being deceived? This thing is still new and noone really knows about this. There are many ppl out there that didn't know about this because most ppl WOULD think this is illegal. Someone using ur number could be callin anybody without ur knowledge and ur gonna tell ur cool with that? Ppl who have these apps MUST be losers to have time to go around and start prankin ppl. However, I can see some of the practical uses for it, but it doesn't outweigh the consequences of what may happen like a pedophile DECEIVING (not educating) little children. Dude u make me sick with that comment. U must be in high school, retard!
Hey jerk, chill out! I'm all for caution and child safety, but the individual is right! Educate your kids & stop being LAZY! I'm sick & tired of all you paranoid alarmists who's only answer is to Ban or Stop something! Never mind all the decent, honest, and responsible people out there. I damn well agree this is dangerous in the wrong hands but so is everything else! Gee?! Let's have Prohibition on everything. And while we're at it, let's make everything in the world made out of Nerf, so our kids can be safe! At times, things do need to be scrutinized & regulated for the safety of children & the public in general. But let's do it on a case by case basis. Common sense will let us know if stronger actions are needed. In the meantime..stop panicking.
Yes...because all the decent, honest and RESPONSIBLE people go around LYING, being IRRESPONSIBLE and DUMB leave "silly prank phone calls"
This was used on me last night and this morning and afternoon and it was NOT funny.
It was a missed call from my fiancé who is very sick and was supposed to sleeping and she was home alone, and it was someone "joking" about how she was kidnapped, it was VERY unfunny.
I am only 20 yrs old but I am not stupid. I agree many things parents are banning are dumb and all that, but this is one thing that shouldn't be legal.
It's highly irritating when you are calling back people who you missed calls from and they didn't call you in the first place.
So in the mean time, stop being an idiot.
What are u a moron? How u gonna educate ur kids when they're being deceived? This thing is still new and noone really knows about this. There are many ppl out there that didn't know about this because most ppl WOULD think this is illegal. Someone using ur number could be callin anybody without ur knowledge and ur gonna tell ur cool with that? Ppl who have these apps MUST be losers to have time to go around and start prankin ppl. However, I can see some of the practical uses for it, but it doesn't outweigh the consequences of what may happen like a pedophile DECEIVING (not educating) little children. Dude u make me sick with that comment. U must be in high school, retard!
what does this have to do with this specific app? the predator was txting and pretending to be someone else...he didn't make a prank call using this app. chill out
There is always sharks in the water.. If you spent as much time being a parent as u do bitchin ,maybe u wouldn't have to worry about it.. Owned.
you are an asshole who probably doesn't have children
Their are many other ways to change your voice so you cant place the blame on this app. How about being a parent and educating your kids about meeting people on the net and talking to strangers instead of making things illegal and ruining it for everybody else?
The Catholic church is dangerous to children. Let's ban that. Sugar causes obesity and diabetes, let's ban that. Car accidents kill children, let's ban cars. We could go on and on and on...
Hey I have an idea... if you are this scared don't buy your child and iphone or any other phone for that matter. Keep them sheltered. problem solved. Let people who like technology go on with the fun. Technology is not going to change its only going to get worse and people are going to come up with even better things. You can't stop it so stop trying.
I have an idea for you. If you think that this app is so safe and is so great, then go ahead and share your phone number on here. Then we'll have some people call you from numbers that you can't verify and pretend that they are a hospital and your parents had an accident. Or we could call you from your local bank branch and ask you to verify some information (the number's legit right?).
I think that information security foundations of confidentiality, integrity, and availability apply to all communications, and if you think differently then you have less than honest motives. Integrity and no-repudiation are key for communications to be trusted.
amen
If you idiots would look into something before opening your big can of stupid you'd have looked on youtube & heard the fake voice it uses is obviously ( even to someon like you) a prank voice. Your kid would have to be to retarded to use a phone to be fooled by that.
YOU are an idiot.
My husband is a cop. They just had a call last week, where the app was used as a prank and the CALLER used the wife's cell number and called the husband, saying that he had his 2 children and wife, whom he snatched from a little league game, and was going to rape and murder them if the CALL RECEIVER did not pay up... Fact is, the kids and wife WERE at the little league game!
FYI, YOU IDIOT, not everyone knows about this app, and even if they did, not everyone expects it.
This is easily one of the most dangerous applications I have ever come across. Some people will do anything to make a buck. Put your creative energies to more constructive projects. Anybody that does not think that this application will be abused is completely naive to the "sickos" that wander our streets. How do protect your child from being deceived by an individual that pretends to be a police officer and informs your child that they need to rush to an accident scene that is nothing more than a ploy to get your child to some remote location? Don't think it can happen, then let's try it out on your sixteen your old daughter and see how she passes the test in panic mode? Ban this crap once and for all or devise a counter application to prevent somebody from using this type of application against you. It is your right to not be "spoofed" just as much as it is the right for others to "spoof" you!
I really didn't read the replies after the first two heated ones. However the one guy pretty much summed it up. "Educate your kids" parents now a days seem fat, lazy, and to caught up in their own affairs to take time and properly educate their children. When is the last you spent time with your kid away from the television and other electronics......... How hard is it to teach kids not to give out their personal information to anyone they don't already know in person. This is were the parents fail, and try to blame it on technology when they themselves shouldn't even be trusted raising a kid if all they do is set them down in front of tv and computers instead of spending time with them...................
Trying to protect your kids against technology is like trying to protect them against evolution. As far as risk vs. gain thats always a weak argument. I'm glad their are still parents that actually are good parents and enough well educated people to offset people like you guys. If their wasn't maybe we would all still be in the dark-age.
Okay fear based people and parents. Instead of trying to control the world around you (which you can't), when you see something you don't like (for example this app, a convicted child predator living down the street, school bully, or sharp edges on playground swings) why don't YOU change what IS in your control.
Predator? Move to another neighborhood. Walk kids to school. Tell them about the scary predator.
Sharp edges? Go to a different park. Cover them with duct tape.
School bully? Tell kids to avoid them. Go to their school. Confront bully and parents. Move schools if necessary.
Oh, and if you don't like this app, here are some ideas:
1) Take your kid's cell phone away if they have one. If you're not overseeing their phone behavior they shouldn't have one anyway. Or get a firefly with parental controls.
2) Tell your kids about the app & warn them about fake callers, this educates them to not be gullible.
3) If you're worried about them answering the home phone, tell them to listen to voicemail, not answer.
4) Oh, and don't tell them the world is safe -it's not! And if you think all this is too much hassle for you, that it's not fair, that THEY should change, go to a therapist, stop being entitled, spoiled, saying "it's not fair" and grow up. Until you start taking responsibility, instead of asking others to, your kids will be in danger of growing up like you. And that's about the worst thing that could happen to them.
Werd...I'm soooo sick of the "for the children" argument. Keep on top of your kids and it wont be a problem. Don't force your opinions on the world and expect things to be changed just for you. For those of us that use this app legitimately...we should be able to without having to worry about "the children"...ugh, I'm so sick of the pussification of America already...everyone's gotta be f'ing coddled. Tired of it.
I agree with you so much. Everytime I watch the news someone is marching around protesting something "in the name of safety for children" ENOUGH. Police your OWN children so that I can enjoy being an adult without your children being ENDANGERED. I do not have children by choice & it is infuriating how much MY life, liberties (heck and pursuit of happiness) are affected by yours. Bottom line, don't have them if YOU don't want to be responsible for PROTECTING THEM. I don't want your responsibility for protecting them. And PLEASE do not construe this as an attack on children. In reality, I love them, think they're cute, cuddle and all that other crsp. I DO NOT THINK THEY SHOULD BE HARMED AND BELIEVE ANYONE WHO DOES SHOULD BE HANGED OR TORTURED OR SOMETHING. But I do love the parents themselves being respondible for them even more.
SO TRUE!!! I have a six year old son and am extremely upset when I hear lazy parents make arguements like this. A few months ago I had a heated arguement when I went to go see piranha 3D. Got my sitter and went to see this movie only to find that it was removed from the theater because parents complained. Ummm....? HELLO!!! the movies rated R. What part of restrictricted in a R rated movie do you not understand!!!? IT'S NOT A FAMILY MOVIE!! It's a gory scary movie!! WTF!? same as when I went to see saw.... It amazes me how many parents take their kids to go see that. WOW! Take some responsibilty as parents people. If you want to let your kids watch movies like that do some parental work and watch it first.
Back to the subject at hand. Social media sites and phones should be limited to your children. Don't give your children access to things if you can't/won't take the time to explain the dangers.
It reminds me of bike's... when I was a kid we rode bikes everywhere, and my parents took the time to explain traffic and how to handle strangers when I came across them. Now days... kids can't . Kids can't be kids and adults can't be adults..
hahaha Im reminded of the southpark episode where the parents "protect" their children by abandoning them lol! Protect kids yes. But take the time to make them wise too. They should be made aware that the world is not always a safe place.
i hate this god dam app these stupid girls keep calling me and i have no way to prove its them cuz their real number is hidden this isn't cool its dumb and what about the stalkers now they can call the person they are stalking constantly and does the stalkee have any evidence that is them nooo cuz its not thier number why don't you go back to pranking the old fashioned way geez this isn't only about children this is about how annoying and dangerous this app is in general im going to lose my mind if i get another spoof call im not laughing and i don't think half the people who get spoofed are, and if someone like a co worker doesn't answer your calls leave them alone they don't wanna talk to you and checking up on your kids if they are not answering your calls you need to be on that not spoofing them ground them i can think of million different things to do for the good reasons they have for spoofing i think it is stupid BAN THIS APP!
hate this god dam app these stupid girls keep calling me and i have no way to prove its them cuz their real number is hidden this isn't cool its dumb and what about the stalkers now they can call the person they are stalking constantly and does the stalkee have any evidence that is them nooo cuz its not thier number why don't you go back to pranking the old fashioned way geez this isn't only about children this is about how annoying and dangerous this app is in general im going to lose my mind if i get another spoof call im not laughing and i don't think half the people who get spoofed are, and if someone like a co worker doesn't answer your calls leave them alone they don't wanna talk to you and checking up on your kids if they are not answering your calls you need to be on that not spoofing them ground them i can think of million different things to do for the good reasons they have for spoofing i think it is stupid BAN THIS APP!
hate this god dam app these stupid girls keep calling me and i have no way to prove its them cuz their real number is hidden this isn't cool its dumb and what about the stalkers now they can call the person they are stalking constantly and does the stalkee have any evidence that is them nooo cuz its not thier number why don't you go back to pranking the old fashioned way geez this isn't only about children this is about how annoying and dangerous this app is in general im going to lose my mind if i get another spoof call im not laughing and i don't think half the people who get spoofed are, and if someone like a co worker doesn't answer your calls leave them alone they don't wanna talk to you and checking up on your kids if they are not answering your calls you need to be on that not spoofing them ground them i can think of million different things to do for the good reasons they have for spoofing i think it is stupid BAN THIS APP!
I totally agree... Now, I was seeing this guy and cut it off, but ever since then I've been getting these godamn calls!! I know its this crazy asshole- but how do you prove it?.. So I agree- BAN THIS APP!!
This App seems really cool until your number is the one being used to call people! It's a safety issue on every level to every person, not just naive children! If your caller id reads a number you should be able to believe it! This is the ultimate privacy violation!
I agree. my boyfriend was getting calls from my phone number today telling him that i was cheating, and well i was sitting right beside him. This app is stupid!! anyone could use my number to harass people and they think its me! this app should be banned!
Agreed. It is all fun and games until someone uses your number to prank call a local LEO. Then the victim uses *67 (I think that's the code) to call my number and wondering what's going on. There is a reason some people use caller ID. If someone cannot muster the balls to call someone with their number showing, why not block your number? Don't use my number so I can catch heat over this cute little prank. I see this app as being a tool of foul play, deception, and illegal misconduct. Granted, it could have some fun and harmless uses but do the pros really outweigh the cons? I think not, but that's not for me to decide. Just my .02 cents.
My boyfriend and I have been dating for a while now and his mom just blocked my number. Since she is the account holder of all her kids phones this posed a problem. I think I have a legitimate reason to need to change my number so I am able to call or text. I've found an alternative and its completely safe. Skype. I can call and text him 24/7
hi, what the hell is with this app? i've been getting calls from random people all day because someone used my number with this app.
This app is very dangerous. I know I know it sounds like fun and games if that’s all people used it for was to make prank calls to people they know however, I have been getting crazy calls for over 2 weeks now and could not figure out why until I call my phone company. Those irate people are mad with me for calling them 10 times a day when I knew nothing about them. Finally one of the callers was quiet enough to listen to me and believed what I was telling him. One hour later he called me back stating he answer his phone when he saw my number come up again and it was a person saying he was Gary from the Florida Hwy Patrol seeking donations. I make donations to both the Florida Hwy Patrol and Firefighter in Jacksonville. I called to report this as a scam or fraud and nothing was done. Guess what, no more donations to them. I am being harassed and the other people are being harassed and we don't know each other so it's not cool or funny at all. And also there are too many young kids with cell phone that could be deceived and end up talking with a rapist pretending to be a young teen.
I know that spoofem.com has a place where you can block your phone number being used, and then they submit your number to other companies similar to this to block your number. here is the link - http://spoofem.com/spoofabuse
Thanks for this link but when I enter my phone number I get an error page. Is there another link???
My ex wife calls and harasses me daily. She is now calling my cell and making it look like the calls are coming from my home landline. I would normally freak out and assume someone had broken into my home to call my cell for reasons unknown, but I know it's this stupid bitch trying to lure me into answering her calls. I want to remove my number from being used in this stupid application. This should be against FCC law or something without a warrant. I am sick of being harrassed and can't document and prove its her with crap like this legal for idiots to use. Please help, anyone.