Does the phone number identify the caller?¶

No. A number identifies a service or displayed routing address, not automatically the handset or human originating the call.

Number, route and user can separate¶

Subscriptions may be shared, SIMs moved and handsets borrowed or controlled remotely. Forwarding, internet telephony and app calls add intermediaries. Caller ID can also be spoofed.

Reconstruct the originating path¶

Use provider routing, subscription and device identifiers alongside possession, location, logins, payments, patterns and witnesses. Account for porting or reassignment at the relevant time.

Describe a number as displayed or associated until evidence identifies the caller. Spoofing is one mechanism requiring provider and routing analysis.