Anonymous incoming calls

[TPR3CX]

My HR dept would like to set up an extension for anonymous complaints. That means that we want it that they cannot see who called whether it is internal or external. Is this possible, or should we outsource this? I can get creative using a trunk and a third party line, but I’m wondering if it can be done internally.

 

[JohnS_3CX]

Internally not really, but you could get a new trunk with a DID for this purpose, and reformat the Inbound Caller ID pattern to show something else. You would also need to change the "CallerName" from Inbound Parameters to point to a value that the provider doesn't send in order to point nowhere and avoid displaying the name (some providers just send the caller number, some may show a name in this field).

Both internal and external callers would have to call that DID directly for anonymity, and it goes without saying that you should test it extensively to ensure it does what you expect it to do, since this is a workaround method rather than true anonymity.

An easier solution might be to use an ATA and connect an analog phone with no screen on it, and Caller ID disabled on the ATA in case someone decides to put a caller ID box when you're not looking

 

[leejor]

An easier solution might be to use an ATA and connect an analog phone with no screen on it, and Caller ID disabled on the ATA in case someone decides to put a caller ID box when you're not looking

...or change the caller ID Method, on the ATA to one not used in your country/region.

You could also route an incoming SIP DID to an extension using an ATA. then connect (wire) the ATA to a gateway and bring back into 3CX as a trunk, then route to an extension with any type of set attached. As long as the ATA and gateway did not have the same type of caller ID set, none would be passed.