| HOWTO: Call Toll-Free Numbers Anonymously with Google Voice! | Skunkworks | 09/12/13 14:10 | Background As you may know, toll-free numbers are capable of seeing your caller ID even when you block it. This is possible because three different types of information about your phone number are transmitted to the phone company of your called par |
| Re: HOWTO: Call Toll-Free Numbers Anonymously with Google Voice! | Skunkworks | 09/12/13 14:11 | ..continued. How to Make Truly Anonymous Calls For whatever odd reason, Google Voice will send erroneous ANI and CPN data that does not match your number if you do the following: -Dial *67 -Call your Google Voice Number -Press * and enter your PIN |
| Re: HOWTO: Call Toll-Free Numbers Anonymously with Google Voice! | funnyboy240 | 09/12/13 17:04 | @Skunkworks Except it only works if you call from one of your forwarding numbers. If you call from another phone it will show your GV number as usual. |
| Re: HOWTO: Call Toll-Free Numbers Anonymously with Google Voice! | petefromflorida | 09/12/13 17:43 | I have an 800 number. If people try to use *67 I can't tell because I see their number anyway. If they call me from a GV number then I see their GV number but I can't see the number they're actually calling from. Most people that have 800 numbers |
| Re: HOWTO: Call Toll-Free Numbers Anonymously with Google Voice! | Skunkworks | 09/12/13 21:26 | @funnyboy240 Are you totally sure? I just tried this out from my home phone, which is not forwarded to one of my GV numbers, and it still worked. @petefromflorida With this trick an 800 number owner sees a general number common to all Google Voice |
| Re: HOWTO: Call Toll-Free Numbers Anonymously with Google Voice! | funnyboy240 | 09/12/13 21:49 | @Skunkworks Yea because when I tried it out on one of my other cell phones it said my GV number, but when I tried my number it worked and said the exact number you said it would say.404-260-5532 |
| Re: HOWTO: Call Toll-Free Numbers Anonymously with Google Voice! | Skunkworks | 09/12/14 17:01 | @funnyboy240 Are you sure that your Caller ID is being properly blocked with that phone? |
| Re: HOWTO: Call Toll-Free Numbers Anonymously with Google Voice! | funnyboy240 | 09/12/14 18:22 | @Skunkworks Yes, I'm sure. |
| Re: HOWTO: Call Toll-Free Numbers Anonymously with Google Voice! | Skunkworks | 09/12/14 20:01 | Well I guess it might a problem on cell phones or on some cell phones. Any luck repeating this elsewhere? |
| Re: HOWTO: Call Toll-Free Numbers Anonymously with Google Voice! | funnyboy240 | 09/12/15 11:01 | @Skunkworks Nope, it seems to still do the same thing as it did before. Anyone else try to see if they get the same result? |
| Re: HOWTO: Call Toll-Free Numbers Anonymously with Google Voice! | petefromflorida | 09/12/15 12:27 | I just used Skunkworks original idea on my own 800 number which is not connected to my GV account. It worked just like he said and the reported number 404-260-5532 was just as he said it would be. I tried it from both a number that is a forwarding |
| Re: HOWTO: Call Toll-Free Numbers Anonymously with Google Voice! | Mitrik | 09/12/26 11:44 | If it is true that you can block your ANI and CPN info I am sure they will fix that soon enough. |
| Re: HOWTO: Call Toll-Free Numbers Anonymously with Google Voice! | Skunkworks | 09/12/26 14:09 | @Mitrik Sure is true, hard to tell whether it is intentional or not though. I'd almost guess it is intentional, as there is really no requirement that ANI or CPN be transmitted for a call, they are frequently lost when placing operator assisted cal |
| Re: HOWTO: Call Toll-Free Numbers Anonymously with Google Voice! | ericson1203 | 09/12/29 17:48 | Stevens College of Technology currently on my last year for Computer Networking and Systems Administration and working in a group for the final project of the year. We are working on getting a VOIP server set up with all possible features working, i |
| Re: HOWTO: Call Toll-Free Numbers Anonymously with Google Voice! | Skunkworks | 09/12/31 12:40 | @ericson1203 Well this isn't too related to the original topic but here are a few tips... Google voice invites are generally going for only a couple bucks on ebay, twitter is also a great place to search for people giving away invites. As far as p |
| Re: HOWTO: Call Toll-Free Numbers Anonymously with Google Voice! | McMabaref | 10/01/02 9:50 | This is wrong. I have tried calling 800-444-4444 (this number will read back your ANI) and 888-253-8239 (this number reads back your CPN). In both cases they identified my original number, not GV. Indeed, this is the expected behavior. If you check o |
| Re: HOWTO: Call Toll-Free Numbers Anonymously with Google Voice! | Skunkworks | 10/01/02 11:57 | @McMabaref Nope, I just checked and my trick still works fine. Are you sure your following the steps properly, especially dialing *67 to block Caller ID before calling your Google Voice number? This trick does not work when you place calls via |
| Re: HOWTO: Call Toll-Free Numbers Anonymously with Google Voice! | i40gordy | 10/01/05 21:45 | @ Skunkworks How does your service provider know when you are using a GV # or your own #? Or do they know? I'm guessing they already know, it makes no difference anyway, and just deduct your minutes as usual. |
| Re: HOWTO: Call Toll-Free Numbers Anonymously with Google Voice! | Mullet61 | 10/01/06 7:25 | I just tried it. Works like a charm |
| Re: HOWTO: Call Toll-Free Numbers Anonymously with Google Voice! | Skunkworks | 10/01/06 14:30 | @i40gordy Calling your google voice number is billed just like calling any other number. The web initiated call is billed just the same as receiving any other call. Google voice is free, but normal charges from your phone provider for incoming and o |
| Re: HOWTO: Call Toll-Free Numbers Anonymously with Google Voice! | Sodas | 10/01/08 11:55 | Yes, method confirmed. Thank you! (P.S: Don't give out invites to people that request them online.) |
| Re: HOWTO: Call Toll-Free Numbers Anonymously with Google Voice! | ebear422 | 10/01/10 12:24 | 800-444-4444 belongs to MCI and I suppose they might some day get tired of people using it for this purpose, rather than what they intended, which is for their customers to call them about their accounts. |
| Re: HOWTO: Call Toll-Free Numbers Anonymously with Google Voice! | Storm2Voices | 10/01/10 19:12 | This method does not seem to work on Verizon Wireless. |
| Re: HOWTO: Call Toll-Free Numbers Anonymously with Google Voice! | all3ykat | 10/01/16 21:32 | I use Verizon and I tried this method three days ago and it worked perfectly. MCI's number was reading back a three digit number that I was calling from, something like 527. Now MCI's 1-800-444-4444 number reads back my GV ANI. This is no longer f |
| Re: HOWTO: Call Toll-Free Numbers Anonymously with Google Voice! | Skunkworks | 10/01/24 14:44 | Ok well things have changed a bit. This still does work, but the ANI and CPN are no longer 404-260-5532. Google voice is now causing something known as an ANI failure when you place a call after dialing in with *67 caller ID blocking. The new data |
| Re: HOWTO: Call Toll-Free Numbers Anonymously with Google Voice! | mad4color | 10/01/26 1:25 | Not a google voice solution, but my favorite way to call an 800 number is from a payphone, those disappearing thingamajigs! You don't have to put coins in to call a toll free number, if you can find a workjing payphone. I used to work for the IRS. P |
| Re: HOWTO: Call Toll-Free Numbers Anonymously with Google Voice! | Skunkworks | 10/01/26 16:55 | Update: MCI refuses to connect calls to their 800-444-4444 ANAC when the call has ANI failure. The number will ringout before going to a reorder when you call with this "cloaking technique." Also it appears that the other ANAC I listed (888-253-823 |
| Re: HOWTO: Call Toll-Free Numbers Anonymously with Google Voice! | Skunkworks | 10/02/18 13:25 | UPDATE: THIS TRICK NO LONGER WORKS AS OF TWO DAYS AGO Google voice has stopped handling privacy bits properly, so whether you dial *67 before calling your google voice number to dial out or not, your outbound CPN, Caller ID and ANI will all now d |
| Re: HOWTO: Call Toll-Free Numbers Anonymously with Google Voice! | jasplayy | 10/02/21 11:50 | ^^ yup hes right it no longers works! |
| Re: HOWTO: Call Toll-Free Numbers Anonymously with Google Voice! | all3ykat | 10/03/03 15:53 | Thank you Skunkworks for your knowledge and for sharing this knowledge on this forum. It seems you have researched other ways after MCI's number stopped working and they were effective for a short while but no longer are. I respect and appreciate t |
| Re: HOWTO: Call Toll-Free Numbers Anonymously with Google Voice! | tatiami | 10/03/05 11:05 | Thank Skunkworks. You're absolutely right. Regardless your phone number is block or not blocking, when making a call thru GV, it shows the GV number. GV need to fix this problem. |
| Re: HOWTO: Call Toll-Free Numbers Anonymously with Google Voice! | z32tt | 10/04/10 12:36 | I don't this is a "actual" problem GV has!lol @ previous comment. Any new tricks related to this? |
| Re: HOWTO: Call Toll-Free Numbers Anonymously with Google Voice! | Makapav | 10/05/06 21:09 | I have a slightly different but maybe related problem with using GV to call Lenovo toll free numbers. I was directed to this thread from my original post here: http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/voice/thread?tid=3120a69626d02ac6&hl=en&fid=3120a696 |
| Re: HOWTO: Call Toll-Free Numbers Anonymously with Google Voice! | airbournone | 10/05/28 9:24 | My experience dialing 800 numbers with GV accords with Makapav's post above- often rings with no answer and an eventual disconnection. |
| Re: HOWTO: Call Toll-Free Numbers Anonymously with Google Voice! | trots | 10/06/12 15:49 | As far as I know the vast majority of toll free numbers (or any phone number attached to a call center or computerized system) get CPN data, not old fashioned "Real" ANI or BTN or anything like that anymore. Anyway, with VoIP it's real easy to spoo |
| Re: HOWTO: Call Toll-Free Numbers Anonymously with Google Voice! | Skunkworks | 10/06/26 12:44 | Appears GV is once again producing similar results as from my initial post (meaning it is again possible to call toll-free numbers anonymously using GV) The three digit ANI+CPN now seems to vary though, I've heard both 804 and 617 thus far. @trots |
| Re: HOWTO: Call Toll-Free Numbers Anonymously with Google Voice! | shahugjghj | 10/08/06 3:03 | anonymously using GV) |
| Re: HOWTO: Call Toll-Free Numbers Anonymously with Google Voice! | smbyers | 10/10/02 18:55 | I've dialed *67, my GV #, option 2, and then the # I want to call and it comes accros as unknown name/unknown number on caller ID. |
| Re: HOWTO: Call Toll-Free Numbers Anonymously with Google Voice! | GW | 11/02/04 8:37 | The *67 doesn't appear to be working now. However, if you are using GV from your cellphone that's a forwarding number on your account and dialing with the Google Voice app, you can block your caller ID. If your phone is set to hide your number, GV fo |