VoIP call Tracing

[Derek Xero]

When you're prank calling using a voip service, and a store manager or anyone for that matter, threatens to trace the telephone call, can they really identify where the call originated and who made it? I know that government agencies have their hands all over skype, but as far as others, can your identity be discovered? This is hypothetical of course. Do shady, foreign voip providers keep records of calls and their IP addresses? Would law enforcement stateside have any ability to obtain these records? I'm just curious, aha. I'd appreciate any feedback and please refrain from flaming me.

[PHISH-PHREAK]

[Copyright]

When you're prank calling using a voip service, and a store manager or anyone for that matter, threatens to trace the telephone call, can they really identify where the call originated and who made it?

It depends how many resources are put into it. 99% of the time it's bullshit. They usually need equipment installed before they can actually do it

I know that government agencies have their hands all over skype, but as far as others, can your identity be discovered?

It depends. You can anonymously buy a Skype subscription and then use a VPN or proxy.

Do shady, foreign voip providers keep records of calls and their IP addresses? Would law enforcement stateside have any ability to obtain these records?

Skype keeps records of calls, as far as IPs, probably. Law enforcement would not be able to obtain them without a subpoena (this is in the Skype ToS).

[MattGSX]

Sign up for skype with a throw-away email account, pay for it with a prepaid credit card (like a dept store card) and use public hotspots and there's really nothing other than your screen name and possibly voice recordings to trace back to you. That's fairly anonymous.

As far as other safety concerns or Skype giving over their records, a law enforcement agency would need something like repeated incidents of harassment or personal threats (or potential threats to national security, like a bomb threat). The court and law enforcement agencies aren't going to commit the time or resources to get call records for a business who is sick of getting prank phone calls now and then.

[PHISH-PHREAK]

I can see that you liked getting flamed.

[MattGSX]

Glutton for punishment.