TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE....
A Column on Consumer Issues
by Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem’s
Consumer Protection and Antitrust Division
March 5, 2008
CALLER ID SPOOFING/PHONE PHISHING
Have you ever had a telephone call when you checked the Caller ID and decided it was
call you wanted to take, only to find out when you answered the call, it was not the caller
you anticipated! If this has happened to you, you have been the victim of “Caller ID
spoofing.”
According to Wikipedia, “Caller ID spoofing is the practice of causing the telephone
network to display a number on the recipient’s Caller ID display which is not that of the
actual originating station…” And while there may be legitimate uses for Caller ID
spoofing such as for law enforcement purposes, insurance companies, human service
agencies, etc., the fraudulent uses of this practice are increasing.
Gaining access to Caller ID spoofing capabilities is as easy as logging onto one of
several well known websites, creating an account, providing a credit card number for
fees associated with the call (for as little as $10 per 60 minutes), entering your pin
number, and entering any number you wish to spoof. You can even disguise your voice
if you wish, choosing either a male or female voice!
Even more alarming, North Dakota numbers are currently being used in Caller ID
spoofing. Late last year the Consumer Protection Division received telephone calls
from out-of-state consumers complaining about telemarketing calls they were receiving
from a 701 area code number. As it turns out, the number was spoofed and was
actually the home phone number of a Bismarck resident who knew nothing about the
calls.
While there are legitimate uses for Caller ID spoofing, here are some uses that are not
considered legitimate:
• Voicemail Hacking – Caller ID spoofing can, in some cases, be used to access
voicemail boxes with some providers. Many phone providers have taken steps to
prevent this from happening on their systems.
• Wire Fraud – scammers have figured out that businesses providing wire transfer
services rely on Caller ID to verify that the caller is calling from their home phone
numbers. The scammers will call to initiate a wire transfer with the Caller ID of
the person they are pretending to be, and will use that person’s credit card or
bank account to transfer funds to another account - most often in another
country.
• Phone Phishing – phishing scammers are using Caller ID spoofing to gain
personal information from victims over the telephone by appearing to be from the
victim’s bank or credit card company, etc. Phone phishing is fraud and is illegal.
• Threats – Caller ID spoofing has been used to phone in bomb threats,
kidnapping and other threats to law enforcement. Law enforcement takes threats
seriously and investigations cost thousands of dollars in resources until the threat
is proven to be a hoax.
• Prank Calls – Caller ID spoofing is often used in making prank calls to friends
and family. While these calls are often harmless, they can cause alarm to the
recipient of the call.
While there is currently no way to block your phone from Caller ID spoofing, here are
some common tips to remember when you receive a telephone call:
Don’t trust anyone. Anyone you do business with already has the information
they need on you. They will not call and ask you your social security number or
to verify your account number.
If you receive a call from your bank, credit card company etc., write down the
number on the caller ID, hang up and redial their number.
Don’t assume it is who you think it is, even if the Caller ID indicates it is a
relative, your children’s school or the local police department. You may wish to
exercise some caution. For instance, you could hang up and call the number
back.
In June 2007, The Truth in Caller ID Act of 2007 was passed in the House of
Representatives, passed in a Senate committee, and is awaiting hearings in the Senate.
This Act is set out to strictly prohibit fraud and harassment through Caller ID spoofing. It
does not prohibit companies from providing commercial Caller ID spoofing services and
places the responsibility on the individual using Caller ID spoofing to use spoofing within
the law. There currently is a law making it illegal for telemarketers to spoof Caller ID
and this carries a $10,000 per violation fee.
If you have additional questions regarding Caller ID spoofing, please contact the
Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division.
The Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division investigates allegations of fraud
in the marketplace. Investigators also mediate individual complaints against
businesses. If you have a consumer problem or question, call the Consumer Protection
Division at 328-3404, toll-free at 1-800-472-2600, or 1-800-366-6888 (w/TTY). This
article and other consumer information is located on our website at www.ag.nd.gov.
The Too Good To Be True
published by the
North Dakota Attorney General's Office
is circulated the first Wednesday of every month.
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