Who's Calling?

Hello. . Hello. . who are you calling for? Anyone can download an app that lets people alter their identity when they call your phone. It can be spoofed easy and at very low cost. It's definitely not a way you want to trust the identity of the person on the other end of the phone. The ugly truth is, all scammers need is a laptop or cellphone and special software that helps mask phone numbers. This is why you can no longer trust Caller ID. Applications like SpoofCard, TraceBust, Fake Call Plus, Caller ID Faker, Spooftel to name a few, are readily available and some are FREE. The technology behind spoofing makes the calls or texts nearly untraceable. Not only can you not access the real phone number behind the call, but trying to return the call of the spammer, will either show as inactive or transfer you to the owner of the stolen number.

Caller ID spoofing is generally legal in the United States unless done "with the intent to defraud, cause harm, or wrongfully obtain anything of value". The relevant federal statute, the Truth in Caller ID Act of 2009, does make exceptions for certain law-enforcement purposes.

• Caller ID spoofing is the process of changing the Caller ID to any number other than the actual calling number.
• Caller ID spoofing happens when a caller knowingly falsifies the info transmitted to disguise the number they're calling from.
• The number that displays on your Caller ID may look as though it's coming from a government agency, business, or even someone in your contacts list in an attempt to trick you into answering the call.
• If the caller's intent is to defraud, cause harm or scam you into providing info you may not otherwise provide over the phone, the spoofing is illegal.
• If no harm is intended or caused, the spoofing is not illegal. Some people may have legitimate reasons to hide their info, such as a law enforcement agency or a doctor's office.

Between 2004 and today, dozens and dozens of Caller ID spoofing companies have been established to meet this incredible need for people to spoof their phone numbers. SpoofCard is one of the biggest and oldest, and it offers a free test drive of its service. Enter your number, the number you want to call, and the number you want to be displayed on their website widget to place the call.  These services work like a calling card, if you've ever used one of those. You dial a number provided to you by the service and then enter an access code or PIN number, plus the recipient's number and your fake caller ID.  Also like phone calling cards, you buy credits, starting at $4.95 for 25 credits (1 minute per credit). Since just about all of the apps offer a Free test drive, it makes it easier for Tom, Dick & Harry over on the next block to spoof you.

If you have been spoofed:

• Don't give out any personal info. Identity thieves often pose as representatives of banks, credit card companies, creditors, or government agencies to get account numbers, SSNs, mother's maiden names, passwords and other identifying info.
• End the call immediately then call the phone number listed on the account statement or website of the company or government agency to determine if the request is legitimate.

Americans have received billions of robocalls & shelled out untold sums to scammers pretending to be IRS representatives, health-care providers, government officials and others.  In the past, lawmakers have had a hard time making robocalls stop.  Until recently, the Federal Communications Commission plan to seek up to $225 million from a Texas company accused of marketing health care plans through a flood of misleading robocalls, a sign of the telecom regulator’s stepped up campaign against the nuisance. If you are getting many spoof calls these days. Chances are it's a Scammer or Robo dialer trying to persuade you to give up your hard earned cash.  So, how can you spoof free your life?  Simple. Assume that the numbers showing up on your phone are probably not accurate and maybe the use of a criminal. And, try to block the numbers on your cell phone. But, when Aunty Sue calls. . you already know her number and you can do little gossiping.

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