More and more telecom customers are becoming victims of Caller ID "spoofing," which is the intentional manipulation of Caller ID information to disguise the identity of the calling party.  One particularly egregious service is offered by Itellas Communications (http://www.itellas.com/) as an online way to mask or falsify Caller ID.

Spoofing is meant to obtain personal information that may be used for identity theft or is designed to get around Do Not Call regulations.  As always, be very careful about giving out personal information to people who contact you via phone or email.

Many people may mistakenly believe their telecom provider is responsible for the problem, particularly if they are on the Do Not Call list but are receiving solicitations from companies using falsified caller ID information.  On April 14, 2010, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 1258, which requires the FCC to develop rules to stop spoofing.  The bill is now awaiting action in the Senate.

The FCC has a “Consumer Facts” sheet that mentions spoofing.  Read it and then call your Senators to tell them to support H.R. 1258.  In Michigan, you need to call Senator Levin (202-224-6221) and Senator Stabenow (202-224-4822).