Where is that call coming from? In the age of Caller ID, the answer is usually as simple as taking a look at the Caller ID indicator on the phone or a separate Caller ID unit. Or is it? Caller ID spoofing has become a multimillion-dollar industry. However, in recent years, the federal government has stepped in to attempt to shield consumers from those who would use Caller ID spoofing for fraudulent purposes.
Caller ID Defined
Caller ID is a service that allows the recipient of a call to see the phone number and often the name of the person placing the call, without actually answering the phone. Many individuals screen their calls by using Caller ID, much as other people screen calls by listening to the beginning of a message being left on an answering machine. The advantage of Caller ID is that the other party never needs to know his or her calls are being screened.
Caller ID Spoofing vs. Caller ID Blocking
Along with Caller ID, Caller ID blocking was developed to allow people who wished to have their numbers remain private to block their numbers from appearing on Caller ID indicators. This service is often used by people with unlisted telephone numbers. Facilities such as battered women's shelters also frequently block their numbers when making outgoing calls.
Caller ID spoofing does Caller ID blocking one better by inventing a completely fictitious phone number that appears on the receiving party's Caller ID display. Caller ID spoofing can generate local or long-distance phone numbers, depending on the preferences of the person who uses (and often pays for) the service.
Use and Misuse of Caller ID Spoofing
Businesses have been known to use Caller ID spoofing to generate separate phone numbers for different phone lines within their facility. Private investigators and other professionals concerned with privacy have also frequently used Caller ID spoofing services.
On the other hand, prank callers and fraud artists have also misused Caller ID spoofing services, either to harass the recipients of their calls or to attempt to separate them from their money. Errant spouses could also hide their whereabouts by using Caller ID spoofing services.
Caller ID Regulations
Private customers can employ Caller ID blocking on a per-call basis, and sometimes on a per-line basis as well as blocking their names. However, calls to emergency numbers cannot be blocked, and calls to 800 numbers (where the recipient is paying for the call) are often not blocked as well. However, 800 number operators are prohibited from selling numbers to third parties. Similarly, telemarketers are not allowed to block their numbers or use Caller ID spoofing for commercial purposes.
FCC Investigations
In 2006, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) began investigating several services that offer Caller ID spoofing in response to consumer complaints. As a result, several services stopped accepting new customers or went out of business altogether. As of 2008, the practice of Caller ID spoofing was not illegal, although the fraudulent uses for Caller ID spoofing are illegal.
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