Last week, when the Federal Communications Commission adopted new rules banning malicious caller ID spoofing of text messages and foreign calls, Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr followed by issuing an updated consumer alert against scammers who try to defraud consumers through call spoofing.
The new federal rules will close a loophole in the law that prevented the agency from pursuing scammers sending spoofed text messages and international fraudsters making spoofed calls to Americans. The Truth in Caller ID Act of 2009 prohibits anyone from causing a caller ID service to knowingly transmit misleading or inaccurate caller ID information (“spoofing”) with the intent to defraud, cause harm, or wrongly obtain anything of value. However, until passage of the RAY BAUM’S Act last year, the Truth in Caller ID Act did not extend to text messages or international calls. The new rules extend these prohibitions to text messages, calls originating from outside the United States to recipients within the United States, and additional types of voice calls, such as one-way VoIP calls.
Today, Carr is warning the public about imposter schemes in which scammers use call spoofing technology to convince consumers to pay money and/or provide their financial or personal identifying information. His warning extends to be cautious of caller ID, and asks the public not to rely on this if they feel something is suspicious.
“Many people rely on caller ID to help them determine whether a call is legitimate or a scam,” said Carr. “Unfortunately, with the advent of spoofing technology, you can’t always trust your caller ID. While we work with federal officials to crack down on illegal robocalls and spoofing technology, the Department of Law will continue to remain vigilant and provide alerts to help Georgians stay ahead of scammers.”
According to Carr, spoofing technology allows scammers to falsify the information transmitted to your caller ID display to disguise their identity and lend credibility to their schemes, Through this technology, they are able to the caller ID so that it displays the actual number and/or name of a legitimate organization. Although the details vary, the scams generally present an urgent scenario requiring consumers to immediately pay money, provide access to bank or credit card accounts or share their Social Security number.
Carr reminds consumers that even government entities can be spoofed. For example, he says, a scammer may claim to be with the IRS, FBI or local law enforcement and threaten arrest if the consumer does not pay money or provide access to their accounts. When a consumer recognizes a phone number as legitimate or sees “IRS,” “FBI” or the name of another trusted entity in the caller ID, they are more likely to fall for the scam.
“To avoid falling prey to call spoofing, do not trust caller ID alone to verify a caller’s identity,” Carr said. “If you think there may truly be an issue with your account or other cause for concern, do not provide any information to the caller. Instead, hang up and call the actual phone number listed on the organization’s website or the number that appears on a bill or statement you received from the organization.”
The Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division encourages consumers to watch out for these red flags which may indicate a scam:
● Use of scare tactics, e.g. threatening arrest if you don’t act now, telling you a loved one is in danger, or that your computer has been hacked
● Being asked to pay money in order to receive a prize
● Pressure to act immediately
● Insistence that you wire money or pay via gift cards
● Get-rich-quick and other promises that sound too good to be true
● Promises to recover money you’ve lost in other scams, for a fee
