Can a mobile number be spoofed?¶

Yes. Caller or sender identity can be presented as a number that did not originate the communication.

The receiving phone records what it was shown¶

Fraud and harassment services may present a bank, local or known number. Screenshots, call logs and messages preserve that display and the recipient's experience, not the true route or operator. Internet telephony, forwarding and gateways add complexity.

Trace the originating service¶

Preserve time, displayed number, duration, voicemail, related messages and reaction. Use provider routing, service accounts, network addresses, payments and patterns to investigate origin. The legitimate subscriber of the displayed number may be wholly unrelated.