Phone spoofing is the act of manipulating the information on a call recipients’ Caller ID display to show details different from the one used to make the call. Also called Caller ID spoofing, it conceals the phone numbers used to make phone calls and display entirely different information on called parties’ phones. Phone spoofing has both legal and illegal uses in Arkansas. Law enforcement agents conceal their phone numbers from crime suspects during investigations by spoofing their offices’ numbers, and journalists utilize spoofing to protect their sources. Similarly, medical officers engage in spoofing their hospitals’ phone numbers while calling patients from their mobile or home phones. These are all legitimate use of Caller ID spoofing.
Phone scammers have also found phone spoofing particularly useful. With many Arkansans getting more aware of phone scams and ignoring calls from unknown numbers, spoofing helps scammers in breaking through that obstacle. Fraudsters spoof their phone numbers to display numbers of familiar persons or entities on call recipients’ Caller ID information display and deceive them into answering their phones. It makes their pitches more sellable to unsuspecting Arkansas, who may believe they are being engaged by trusted persons or legitimate entities.
Some of the illegal uses of phone spoofing in Arkansas are:
Telemarketing Scams
Illegal telemarketers find phone spoofing useful in fooling Arkansans into answering fraudulent robocalls, making them appear as calls originating from familiar agencies. The primary aim is to steal from them. Generally, telemarketers are prohibited from spoofing Caller IDs to mislead call recipients when making telephone solicitations.
Harassment
There have been instances in Arkansas where phone spoofing was used to disrupt others’ businesses. The crooks often spoof Caller IDs to display familiar phone numbers on their targets’ phones and then rain verbal abuses on them. This type of harassment usually leads to strained relationships between call recipients and persons whose numbers were spoofed. In other instances, phone spoofing can be used for making pranks, some of which are done for fun, while others are for malicious purposes.
Financial Fraud
Phone spoofing aids the execution of financial scams. Scammers coerce their targets into making needless payments and disclosing valuable personal information. For instance, they often extort residents by spoofing the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) official phone numbers. The callers will request their targets to pay taxes owed to the IRS immediately or risk jail term or arrest. In other cases, fraudsters will claim to be officials of financial institutions and ask for their marks’ personal information for supposed verifications. Victims of phone spoofing scams can file complaints online with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
How Do You Know If Your Number Is Being Spoofed?
Incessant phone calls and text messages from different unknown numbers coming through and attempting to respond to conversations you did not initiate may imply your number is being spoofed. The callers who must have interacted with the persons using your phone number are usually unaware of this until you inform them. Make sure to report it to your local law enforcement immediately to avoid being implicated by the crimes of another person. You can also file a complaint online with the FCC.
Why is Phone Spoofing Illegal?
Phone spoofing becomes illegal when it is intentionally used to cause harm or obtain money and other valuables. The Truth in Caller ID Act of 2009 corroborates this statement. According to the Act, it is unlawful for any person to cause any caller identification service to knowingly transmit misleading caller identification information with the intent to cause harm or obtain anything of value.
It is illegal for fraudsters and telemarketers to use phone spoofing to mislead and extort residents. Besides imitating phone numbers of familiar businesses and government agencies, phone scammers also spoof their Caller IDs to display local phone numbers when contacting their targets. Such calls will appear as originating from targets’ neighborhood when they may indeed be coming from overseas. This type of spoofing is called neighbor spoofing.
How Can You Identify and Protect Yourself from Illegal Spoofed Calls?
It is quite tasking to tell if an incoming call is from a spoofed number without the use of reverse phone lookup tools. To protect yourself and avoid falling victim to scams that use illegally spoofed calls, your best options include:
- Do not trust the Caller ID information that shows up on your phone enough to share sensitive information with any individual or agency over the phone. Hang up your phone when you are asked for personal information, especially if you did not initiate the call.
- Repeated missed calls from numbers that appear to be those of legitimate entities that did not leave messages for you are potential spoofed scam calls. Do not return such calls.
- Contract the call-blocking services of your phone company or download third-party call-blocking apps to block identified spoofed numbers.
- Register your number on the National Do Not Call Registry managed by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Doing this will prevent genuine telemarketers from calling you, making it easy to identify scam robocalls (spoofed or otherwise).
- File the reports of identified spoofed numbers online to the FCC or call 1 (888) 225-5322.
Does Arkansas Have Anti-Spoofing Laws?
In 2019, the Arkansas governor signed the Arkansas Anti-Spoofing Privacy Act into law in a bid to curtail the menace of robocalls and phone spoofing in the State of Arkansas. This law corroborates the Truth in Caller ID Act and identifies what makes phone spoofing illegal in the state. Any spoofing maliciously used to cause harm, steal, and obtain personal information from Arkansans is unlawful. The Arkansas Anti-Spoofing Privacy Act, however, recommends stricter punishments for offenders than the Truth in Caller ID Act. It classifies illegal spoofing as a Class D felony punishable by a jail term of not more than six years. The Act also recommends a fine that should not be more than $10,000 against violators. Additionally, it mandates telecommunications service providers to submit some reports annually to the Arkansas Public Service Commission. These reports should reveal the steps taken to ensure reduction or eradication of illegal robocalls and phone spoofing in the state.
Federal laws such as the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991 and Telemarketing Sales Rule also prohibits the use of spoofing for illegal purposes. Both laws mandate persons or entities who engage in telephone solicitations to disclose their identities to residents during calls. They spelled out severe measures to be meted out to violators.
What are Common Phone Scams involving Caller ID Spoofing in Arkansas?
Phone spoofing plays a significant role in Arkansas phone scams. It lends credibility to scam pitches and fools targets into sharing their sensitive information. The chances of fraudulent schemes succeeding in Arkansas increase with spoofing. Arkansans who fall victim to phone spoofing scams can file complaints online with the FCC or call 1 (888) 225-5322.
Phone spoofing helps fraudsters in the execution of the following phone scams in Arkansas:
- IRS scams
- Charity scams
- Counterfeit check scams
- Family emergency scams
- International lottery scams
- Mystery shopping scams