Windsor Resident Expresses Frustration Over Having Mobile Number Spoofed

A Canadian woman has described her ongoing issues with having her mobile number spoofed by scammers.

According to a new report from CBC, Windsor resident Kyla Bardwell says she’s received over 500 phone calls over over 100 text messages after spammer decided to spoof her number after she asked them to add her to a do-not-call list.

Bardwell says that spammers called her sometime last week offering air duct cleaning services, which she refused. She then asked them to place her phone number on a do-not-call list, and thought the matter to be resolved at that point.

Just a few days later, however, she started receiving hundreds of phone calls and text messages from angry callers wondering why her number was connected to telemarkers.

“I don’t know if they retaliated with this, but [the spammers] started calling people using my [number],” she said.

Bardwell became more concerned when one of her coworkers received a spam call from telemarketers using her number.

“I picked up … and it wasn’t [Bardwell],” said her friend, Kim Faulkner. “It was a man’s voice … they said air duct cleaning services. I hung up because I’ve gotten calls from them many times — I just hang up, I don’t have the patience or the time to deal with them.”

Bardwell then contacted her wireless provider, Fido, who told her that there was nothing they could do about her issue.

“Really all I can do about this is change my number, from what my provider tells me,” she said. “My number is so easy, and I’ve had it for years. To change it, it’s more of a sentimental thing and everyone knows my number.”



She also got in touch with Windsor police, who told her that she needed to file a civil suit if she wanted some kind of a solution to her issue.

“A civil suit against who?” said Bardwell. “Who is air duct cleaning services? I’m sure it’s not a legitimate company, I’m sure it’s a scam. So who do I file a suit against?”

A spokesperson for Rogers, the parent company of Fido, said the company knows “receiving unwanted calls is frustrating for our customers, and we are working with the [Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)] and industry partners to implement steps to reduce them.”