Spoofing: Fake Caller ID

It has become easier to fake caller identification. The message that you receive for caller identification may be misleading. It may be ’spoofed’ - faked on purpose. What caller display identifies as your bank or your local police or some business may be a criminal seeking your personal information. The person calling is hoping to access information such as your social security number, date of birth, confirmation of your bank account number… the data to start stealing your identity.

Brian Krebs, in an article for the Washington Post, noted that there was legislation addressing this issue:

“The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday approved legislation that would make it a crime for someone to fake their phone’s outgoing Caller ID information for nefarious purposes.”

link: House Approves Anti-Caller ID Spoofing Bill

The caller is counting on your anxiety and your compliance as a good citizen to be co-operative - and supply the necessary identity theft information. The best security is to safeguard your personal information. If it is the bank, the IRS, the police and whoever, you can go see them personally and find out what is the concern. Never give your personal information to someone over the telephone - no matter what caller ID says.

Catherine Forsythe

[tags]spoofing, caller id, fake, security, identity theft, call display, legislation[/tags]