Phone rang, Facetime identified my daughter as the caller. I answered, but it was not my daughter. I saw the caller. Once the caller saw me, she freaked out and hung up. In my "recents" the call was identified as from my daughter. What's up with that?
Facetime Imposter
facetime
Related Solutions
Initially Apple used the phone number as the FaceTime "account" and non-user-visible SMS validation as the "password" to avoid forcing end users to enter/remember/forget yet another set of credentials.
The SMS validation happens behind the scenes - but SMS does have to be active on the phone at the time of first verifying (and potentially when re-verifying?) your FaceTime account on Apple's servers. If you switch off FaceTime in the Phone settings, wait a few seconds and turn it back on - you can see this checking process. The status message will change to say "Waiting for activation..." until Apple's servers verify your account. Once it says "Your phone number will be shared with people you call with FaceTime." the account is verified.
You can now use AppleID for credentials for devices that do not have SMS and an easily accessed/understood phone number. SMS is needed one time at activation to ensure Apple's push notification goes to the correct device - there shouldn't be a problem dropping SMS later once the device is registered.
This data lets the address book facilitate dialing and location over WiFi. Apple runs servers that let each device check in and request to initiate a call if the receiver is online anywhere. There is no technical reason why FaceTime cannot use cellular data for the call (bits are bits) but in practice the carriers would probably have to charge more for supporting everyone video chatting on networks that are currently straining to contain the data already flowing over them.
On devices that allow an email address - if someone calls you - all the devices currently on ring but only one picks up. For example, it's possible to receive incoming FaceTime calls ringing on a Mac, an iPod touch and an iPad - and any one can pick up the "call".
It will show up in your missed calls list in FaceTime.app (even if your computer is turned off at the time):
So yeah, FaceTime stores missed call information on Apple’s servers. It will show up in FaceTime.app, but you need to open FaceTime.app for it to show.
Best Answer
Something similar happened to me one time. I made a FaceTime call, and it connected to a complete stranger. We both freaked out.
I had an old, stale cell phone number still attached to the person I was calling. I suspect, but could not verify, that the number had been re-used and the new owner attached it to a different Apple ID. FaceTime decided for some reason to place the call to the wrong Apple ID.
I deleted the old phone number. Since then, I've never had any trouble making this FaceTime call.