Receiving spam message with my gmail contact name

[Android Central Question]

I bought a new samsung S8 and everything works fine. I have 3 gmail accounts on my android and I have been sending a lot of emails to one of my contact from one of my account. However yesterday, I received 2 phone calls from an unknown number, one of which I picked up but did not say anything and there was no one saying anything either at the end of the line. But the strangest thing is to receive a message to my NUMBER saying "hi" but using the contact name of that gmail contact (his email ID minus the @gmail). How does that work, and how is both my gmail AND number compromised at the same time?

 

[methodman89]

Because you can send email through sms, and vice versa. Install Hiya, add the sender to your blocked number list.

 

[Rukbat]

And it's trivial to fake the callerID these days. (I have phone numbers in two widely-separated area codes - I moved, but kept my old numbers because I've had them for over 40 years, a lot of people know them, and with VoIP, it doesn't matter where you're located. And almost every robocall I get on those numbers comes from a number in their area code, and from a location close to them. [One of them was changed a few times, then eventually was replaced when I ported a cellphone number to that line - and I get the same robocall from numbers near where my numbers are "located" about 30 miles apart.)

As long as the person isn't trying to defraud you, unfortunately, it's not against the law. (If they are, file a complaint with the FCC - FCC Phone Complaints.)