Phone spoofing, or caller ID spoofing, is the deliberate falsification of caller ID information transmitted and displayed on a call recipient’s phone. Caller ID is a telecommunications service that displays the phone number, and name where possible, of a caller to the call recipient. Through the use of Voice over Internet Protocol, Primary Rate Interface, and other telecommunications services, it is possible to personally configure a phone number or spoof an already existing one.
Caller ID spoofing can be used to perform various criminal and fraudulent activities, some of which are:
- Prank calling and harassing people. Sometimes these prank calls are made in the spirit of non-malicious harmless fun. However, fraudsters also use caller ID spoofing to disguise their phone numbers and harass innocent Oregonians by pretending to be government agents or law enforcement officers.
- Bullying and Intimidation. With caller ID spoofing, scammers and con artists can bully and intimidate unsuspecting Oregonians into divulging sensitive information by pretending to be law enforcement agents and government officials and threatening them with arrests if they do not comply. These scammers also use caller ID spoofing to intimidate their victims into making payments for alleged offenses and crimes committed.
- Unsolicited telemarketing. By using a neighbor spoofing technique, scammers manipulate unsuspecting Oregonians into answering unsolicited telemarketing calls by disguising their numbers to look like the call is coming from a neighbor or a nearby location.
- SMS phishing (SMiShing) attacks. Scammers use caller ID spoofing to disguise their phone numbers and send text messages to unsuspecting individuals, who wrongly assume that these messages originated from reputable organizations or financial institutions. These messages typically encourage the readers to click a link. However, this link usually compromises the personal information stored on the device or signs the recipient up for an unwanted paid service.
In the United States, the Truth in Caller ID Act of 2009 makes it illegal to spoof caller ID with the intention of doing any of the following:
- Defrauding the call recipient;
- Causing harm to the call recipient;
- Obtaining valuable items like money and information from the call recipient;
In the state of Oregon, compliance with this law is enforced by the Oregon Department of Justice.
Why Is Phone Spoofing Illegal?
Caller ID spoofing is used for various legal reasons in the United States, most of which have to do with privacy. For example, a personal number can be spoofed to look like a workplace number so that whenever a customer, client, or patient is contacted outside the office, the caller’s personal phone number is never displayed. This is usually done to avoid unwanted calls and disturbances.
Unfortunately, the same technology that allows a person to spoof their caller ID for personal privacy reasons can also be used by nefarious individuals to spoof their numbers for fraudulent reasons. For this reason, the Truth in Caller ID Act of 2009 was implemented.
The Truth in Caller ID Act of 2009 criminalizes caller ID spoofing for purposes that result in obtaining valuable items, including money and information from a person, or harming and defrauding a person. This law stipulates a fine of up to $10,000 per violation for guilty offenders. Note that the Truth in Caller ID Act of 2009 makes exemptions for law enforcement officers and agencies that may have to perform any of these actions in carrying out their official duties. Also, the law has a two-year statute of limitations. This means that scammers and con artists that are not charged within two years of violating this act can no longer be found guilty unless they are charged for a new violation.
How Do You Know If Your Number Is Being Spoofed?
There is no particular method for knowing whether a scammer has spoofed your phone number. In most cases, people discover that their phone number has been spoofed after the scammer has used it to contact various people. When your phone number is spoofed, there is a high likelihood that you suddenly get flooded with calls and text messages from unknown numbers. These numbers always contact you to find out about a particular product or service you have no idea about or to warn you against contacting them again. If this happens, then it is very probable that your phone number has been spoofed.
Dealing with the aftermath of a spoofed phone number can be a tiring experience. You can mitigate the effects of this experience by taking any of the following steps:
- Inform all callers that your phone number has been spoofed. You can do this through a voicemail message that plays when someone calls you. This message should also tell callers to no longer contact you regarding any product or service that you do not know of;
- Research methods for blocking calls and messages from numbers that are not stored in your phonebook. If you can do this, you will no longer be contacted by unknown numbers;
- File a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission. This is important because it serves as evidence that you were the victim of a caller ID spoofing.
How Can You Protect Yourself from Illegal Spoofed Calls?
You can protect yourself from falling victim to phone scams that involve caller ID spoofing by taking certain proactive measures:
- Do not give out your phone number to businesses and people that you do not have a personal relationship with;
- Be careful when answering unknown calls that originate from overseas or local numbers that look similar to yours;
- Remember that caller ID can be spoofed, and always verify calls that originate from government agencies, law enforcement agencies, and financial institutions. You can do this through a reverse phone number lookup. Spoofed phone numbers typically do not return any search results;
- Never give out banking information over the phone. If a caller insists that you do so, hang up immediately;
- Block all numbers that you suspect have been spoofed;
- Add your number to the National Do Not Call Registry.
Does Oregon Have Anti-Spoofing Laws?
Oregon Revised Statutes Chapter 646A.808 is a state law that criminalizes the use of caller ID spoofing to request, solicit, or induce personal information from a person. Violation of this law can result in a civil penalty of up to $25,000 per violation. Also, the Truth in Caller ID Act of 2009 is enforceable in the state of Oregon. This is a federal law that punishes the illegal use of caller ID spoofing with fines of up to $10,000 per offense.
What Are Common Phone Scams Involving Caller ID Spoofing in Oregon?
Caller ID spoofing is a telecommunications service with legally recognized uses and is utilized by businesses and individuals when conducting their various activities. On the other hand, this service also has features used by phone scammers to defraud unsuspecting Oregonians. Some common Oregon caller ID spoofing scams are:
- Impersonation scams;
- Telemarketing scams;
- Timeshare resale scams;
- SMS phishing scams
You can report all contact with scammers and fraudsters to the Oregon Department of Justice.