iSpoof: The Site That Made Scam Calls Look Like Your Bank

The call came up as your bank's number. It was not your bank. iSpoof sold that trick by subscription, and a single administrator is now in prison.

By Siddharth ShankarUpdated October 11, 2026

A caller ID is just a label. The network passes along whatever number the caller says they are using, and services like iSpoof existed to let criminals choose that label. The result was a scam call that looked, to the person receiving it, like a call from a bank.

What happened

The CPS reported that the leading administrator of ispoof.cc was sentenced to 13 years and four months at Southwark Crown Court on May 19, 2023. He pleaded guilty on April 20, 2023 to making or supplying articles for use in fraud, encouraging or assisting an offence, possessing criminal property and transferring criminal property.

The CPS said UK losses were over £43 million, with an estimated global total of at least £100 million. More than 200,000 UK victims were targeted by users of the service, and 70,000 have been contacted.

How it worked

iSpoof sold fraud tools by monthly subscription. The core feature was caller ID spoofing, so that calls appeared to come from a bank. Other tools helped criminals obtain passwords and PINs and then empty victims' accounts.

Subscription receipts were 112.6 bitcoin, about £3.2 million, and the administrator received at least £1.3 million. The service worked as a business: it had customers, a subscription model and a product that lowered the skill needed to commit fraud.

What was exposed

Callers posing as banks obtained one-time passcodes, PINs and passwords from people who believed they were speaking to their real bank. The fake caller ID made the story feel verified, which is why the victims went along.

This is a case where no data breach was needed. The victims themselves provided the secrets, and the technology only changed what number appeared on the screen.

How it ended

This is one of the clearer wins in this series. The administrator was sentenced to over 13 years, and 70,000 victims have been contacted. A long prison term does not return money, and the CPS release does not describe any repayment to victims.

A timeline of the case

The CPS figures give a clear shape to the story. The administrator pleaded guilty on April 20, 2023 and was sentenced a month later, on May 19. In the middle sits the money: at least £1.3 million for the administrator personally, from subscription receipts of 112.6 bitcoin.

Set against UK losses of over £43 million, the comparison shows how modest subscription income could sit behind much larger losses for the people on the receiving end of the calls.

Key facts at a glance

• Sentence: 13 years and four months
• Sentencing date: May 19, 2023, Southwark Crown Court
• UK losses: over £43 million
• Estimated global losses: at least £100 million
• UK victims targeted: more than 200,000

How to stay safe from spoofed calls

What the release does not say

The CPS release does not describe how many calls were placed or what share of victims recovered money. For a UK case of fraud by phone that ended with a cash handover, see the courier fraud gang case.

Why this case matters

The iSpoof case shows how crime has become a service. A skilled person built the tool, and thousands of less skilled people paid to use it. That is why a single arrest could affect a large number of scams at once.

It also explains why the rule about not trusting caller ID has no exceptions. A convincing call from your bank's real number can still be a scam, so the only safe route is to end the call and reach your bank yourself.

Nothing here can be undone for the people involved, but you can prepare. See the guides on what an exposed phone number means, how scammers find your phone number and email and what to do if your phone number was in a breach. You can also try our free phone number exposure check.