Telemarketers and debt collectors are using Caller ID spoofing more and more, reports Daniel Novick of CW33 TV in Dallas-Fort Worth.
Caller ID spoofing is the technique of masking the actual phone number that a call is coming from, and instead displaying another number, a general term like “Customer Service,” or nothing at all, explains Jeannette Kopko of the Better Business Bureau serving Dallas and Northeast Texas.
Because the number is masked, it’s hard for consumers to know who’s calling and get them to stop, or block all the numbers that are used. Both the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Federal Communications Commission (FCC) enforce laws against using Caller ID spoofing for harmful or fraudulent intent.
If you’re getting spoofed calls, and you know who’s calling you, complain to the BBB. You can also complain to the FTC and FCC.
To see the news story from CW33, click here:
http://www.the33tv.com/videogallery/67501335/News/1/19/12-caller-id-spoofing
Federal Trade Commission tips on stopping telemarketing calls you don’t want
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/alerts/alt136.shtm
Federal Communications Commission tips on Caller ID spoofing
http://www.fcc.gov/guides/caller-id-and-spoofing