Bogus Caller ID

[mpm]

Can anyone explain to me:

1 - How exactly caller ID is spoofed/circumvented.
2 - Why better safeguards were not put in place.

I can barely believe the phone companies screwed this idea up so
badly!!!

I understand there are certain (few!) legitimate needs to avoid caller
ID (witness protection, stalkers, etc..), but telemarketing
companies???

Clearly they should not have the privledge to essentially defraud
people who pay for Caller ID services? Or should they?!

This is a peeve, which sometimes elevates to the status of "Major
Annoyance". Like today for example. We keep getting automated calls
from TMG Marketing. They call and call (using a handful of different
Caller ID's), and if you answer, they are never "there". If you call
back the number on Caller ID, you get a recording saying the number is
no good.

This is a business line. We're not going to change it.
Anybody got any good stories? Ways to "fix" permanently?
There ought to be laws to protect against this (business &
residential)!

Oh: and check out: (This truly makes me angry.)
http://www.spoofcard.com/?gclid=CI7fjobt_IwCFSQsFQodFntCDw

-mpm

 

[Robert Baer]

Can anyone explain to me:

1 - How exactly caller ID is spoofed/circumvented.
2 - Why better safeguards were not put in place.

I can barely believe the phone companies screwed this idea up so
badly!!!

I understand there are certain (few!) legitimate needs to avoid caller
ID (witness protection, stalkers, etc..), but telemarketing
companies???

Clearly they should not have the privledge to essentially defraud
people who pay for Caller ID services? Or should they?!

This is a peeve, which sometimes elevates to the status of "Major
Annoyance". Like today for example. We keep getting automated calls
from TMG Marketing. They call and call (using a handful of different
Caller ID's), and if you answer, they are never "there". If you call
back the number on Caller ID, you get a recording saying the number is
no good.

This is a business line. We're not going to change it.
Anybody got any good stories? Ways to "fix" permanently?
There ought to be laws to protect against this (business &
residential)!

Oh: and check out: (This truly makes me angry.)
http://www.spoofcard.com/?gclid=CI7fjobt_IwCFSQsFQodFntCDw

-mpm

I understand that it is supposed to be illegal to do automated
calling; a real person must make the call so as to answer the question
"who are you?".
What you are describing is harassment which (i understand) is a
Federal Felony.
I do not know the relevant CFRs, but it should not be too difficult
to find them online at no cost.
You can go to the police and file a report and request that your
phone provider to monitor the line; they trap all calls and usually can
traceback the real caller, and tell them to cease and desist.
All they need is three identical hits and the company is toast.