Would stop use of fraudulent caller ID’s by con men

Washington, D.C.--Congressman Eliot Engel re-introduced his legislation to stop the use of fake Caller IDs which are often used to con people out of their personal information, and can result in bank accounts being wiped out. The bill was introduced with Congressman Joe Barton (R-TX), ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

‘Spoofing’ is the term describing technology to falsify the name and phone number appearing on Caller ID. A ‘spoofer’ can pretend, for example, to be calling from a bank to persuade a person to give their Social Security and/or credit card numbers and other personal information. This information is then used to fraudulently obtain credit cards or withdraw money from their bank account.

Rep. Engel, a senior member of the House Energy & Commerce committee, called identity theft a growing problem across the United States. “This is another example of technology being misused by the unscrupulous to scam the unsuspecting,” he said. “If spoofers are able to get your Social Security number, they can access bank and credit accounts, steal money, create false credit card accounts and cause havoc with your personal and financial life. It can take years for a victim to correct the damages.”

“Worse, the technology can be also be used by stalkers and criminals, who are potentially violent. “Not only do we have an identity theft issue here, but there is a real safety concern. Something needs to be done before more lives are potentially ruined,” added Rep. Engel.

The 11-term congressman said that the problem is not limited to criminal conduct, but sometimes for political dirty tricks. Complaints flooded into some Congressional offices in 2007 after constituents received nasty phone calls, which Caller ID identified as coming from a Congressional office.

His legislation, H.R. 1258, the Truth in Caller ID Act., would amend the Communications Act of 1934 making it illegal to alter Caller ID with “intent to defraud or cause harm” and gives the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) authority to developed regulations to enforce the new law. By amending the 1934 law, the legislation keeps penalties already in the law, with violators facing $10,000 in fines and/or up to a year in jail.

To ‘spoof’, a person need only to log onto a website, put in his or her phone number, the number they are calling, and the number they want to appear on the Caller ID. The website calls back – connects to the person they are calling and masks their true identity. Even the sound of his or her voice can be altered.

Rep. Engel continued, “I have received a growing number of complaints from constituents about these tactics. Some individuals have been victimized and my office has worked to assist them in restoring their good credit. I remind people once again to never provide their personal information over the phone.”