Your phone rings. The number has your area code — maybe even the same first few digits as your own number. It looks local, so you answer.

But the caller may be nowhere near your neighborhood.

In this video, we explain “neighbor spoofing,” a tactic in which caller ID information is manipulated so an incoming call appears to come from a familiar or local number.

Why do scammers want their calls to look local? Can you trust the number displayed on your screen? What happens if you call it back? And why might the real owner of that number have absolutely nothing to do with the suspicious call?

We’ll break down how caller ID spoofing works at a practical level, the warning signs to watch for, and simple precautions that can help protect your personal and financial information.

Most importantly, a familiar area code does NOT prove that the caller is actually nearby — or that the displayed number belongs to the person calling.

Watch until the end before answering your next unfamiliar “local” call, and share this video with parents, grandparents, friends, and family members who receive suspicious calls.

Have you ever received a scam call that looked almost identical to your own phone number? Tell us about it in the comments.