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ROBOCALLS and Caller ID Spoofing

ROBOCALLS are unwanted phone calls “that use a computerized autodialer to deliver a pre-recorded message”.  Often robocalls are associated with telemarketing campaigns, such as political campaigns, but are also used for public service or emergency announcements.  In some instances, robocalls use a personalized message to simulate an actual personal phone call.

Robocalls have grown into the largest source of consumer complaints at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

Per the FCC (https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/stop-unwanted-robocalls-and-texts#call-blocking-resources ),

“Unwanted calls – including illegal and spoofed robocalls – are the FCC’s top consumer complaint and our top consumer protection priority. In addition, complaints are on the rise from consumers whose numbers are being spoofed or whose calls are being mistakenly blocked or labeled as a possible scam call by a robocall blocking app or service. The FCC is committed to doing what we can to protect you from these unwelcome situations and is cracking down on illegal calls.”

If you receive an unwanted phone call of any kind, including an unwanted robocall, don’t try to outsmart the bad guy by intentionally giving out wrong information. Just hang up. Do not call the number back, or call another number they give you.

Scammers using robocalling technologies can be persistent and will look for ways to get their calls past evolving blocking technologies. Sometimes calling parties try to disguise their identity by using a telephone number that they are not really entitled to use, such as the number of a government agency or a legitimate business with whom you may have a relationship, or a telephone number that looks so much like yours that you might think it is a friend or neighbor calling. In this way they try to get you to answer the phone, and at the same time avoid technologies that would otherwise block the calling party’s real telephone number.

This is called “spoofing.”

What can you do?