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Cleaning Up Caller ID Spoof Services

Posted on Apr 16, 2006 by Tom Fragala

In a recent post, I talked about a Caller ID fake out service called SpoofCard. Looks like I was right when I said the FCC has jurisdiction over these types of services. Wired News has a story on proposed legislation and some recent action by the FCC.

Bipartisan legislation introduced Wednesday in the House of Representatives seeks to outlaw the use of caller ID spoofing techniques "with the intent to deceive the person to whom the call is made."

The bill targets the mostly web-based spoofing services that allow users to make phone calls that appear to be coming from a phone number of the caller's choice. Site operators emphasize that their services are used by private investigators and law enforcement agencies, but spoofing is also popular with fraud artists and pranksters.

Late last month, Florida state attorney general -- and gubernatorial candidate -- Charlie Crist issued subpoenas targeting five different spoofing sites, aimed at unmasking the owners of the businesses, and in one case the identities of any Florida customers.

And in February, the FCC launched an investigation of U.S.-based spoofing sites, demanding the names and usage histories of customers. At least one such service, Telespoof.com, turned over its customer records to the commission last month after the FCC issued a formal subpoena for the information.

A seven-page demand letter from the FCC's enforcement bureau seen by Wired News claimed that spoofing violates the Federal Communications Act by failing to send accurate "originating calling party telephone number information" on interstate calls.