When Caller ID Fails: Learn About “Spoofing”

November 12, 2019

Do you receive unwanted telemarketing or scam phone calls and wonder why your caller ID says many of them are right in your area code or even a business or organization you recognize? It’s called caller ID “spoofing;” a technology that is cheap and readily available to mask where the calls are originating.
 
Spoofing means scammers from other states or even other countries can spoof your caller ID to make you believe they are from, for example, a legitimate bank or government agency in your hometown. In recent weeks the Ohio Attorney General’s office has received reports from the Clermont Senior Services and the Ohio Board of Nursing being spoofed. The scammers then requested personal information or bank account numbers from the consumers.
It is also important to recognize that those whose numbers are “spoofed” are victims too. For example, the Ohio Board of Nursing and Clermont Senior Services never authorized their phone numbersto be used by scammers nor were they involved with the scam. Banks, residential consumers and even 9-1-1 emergency services have had their phone numbers spoofed by unaffiliated scam artists.
According to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), “Under the Truth in Caller ID Act, FCC rules prohibit any person or entity from transmitting misleading or inaccurate caller ID information with the intent to defraud, cause harm, or wrongly obtain anything of value. If no harm is intended or caused, spoofing is not illegal.”
 
The FCC requires telemarketers to display the phone number along with the company name, if possible. The phone number should be one that consumers can call back during regular business hours and ask to not receive future calls.
 
Consumers can steer clear of scams by following these tips:

• Do not give out personal or payment information, including account numbers, passwords, or social security numbers to unexpected callers claiming to be your bank, a government agency, or other legitimate business or organization. If you receive this type of call, hang up.
• If you receive an unwanted robocall, do not push any buttons – even to “talk to a representative” or “opt out” – because that may only confirm to the caller that your phone number is valid and working. Instead of getting fewer calls, you may actually receive more.
• Place your landline and cell phone numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry (www.donotcall.gov, 888-382-1222) to help reduce telemarketing calls. Be sure to report any violations to the National Do Not Call Registry or the Ohio Attorney General’s Office.
• Visit the Federal Trade Commission for details about blocking unwanted robocalls, including call blocking technology.