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Caller ID and Spoofing
FCC
Consumer Facts  

Background

Caller Identification or “Caller ID” allows you to identify a caller before you answer your telephone. It is an optional telephone service, available from your local telephone service provider for an additional monthly fee. A caller’s number and/or name are displayed either on your phone (if your phone has this feature) or on an external display unit that you can buy separately. The number and/or name will appear on the display unit or on your phone after the first ring. This service also lets you identify yourself to the person you are calling.

Caller ID service, however, is susceptible to fraud. Using a practice known as “caller ID spoofing,” disreputable parties can deliberately falsify the telephone number relayed as the Caller ID number to disguise the identity and originator of the call. Congress is currently considering new laws that would make this practice a crime and permit law enforcement authorities to take action against spoofers.


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FCC Caller ID Rules for Telemarketers

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rules prohibit telemarketers from blocking Caller ID information and require them to pass accurate caller ID numbers. FCC rules specifically require that a telemarketer:

•transmit or display its telephone number, and, if possible, its name or the name and telephone number of the company for which it is selling products or services.

•display a telephone number that you can call during regular business hours to ask to no longer be called. This rule applies even to companies that already have an established business relationship with you.

For violations of these rules, the FCC can seek a monetary fine. If the violator is not an FCC licensee, the FCC must first issue a warning and the telemarketer may be fined only for violations committed after the warning.

Rules for Blocking and Unblocking Your Telephone Number

The FCC’s Caller ID rules protect the privacy of the person calling by requiring telephone companies to make available free, simple, and uniform per-line blocking and unblocking procedures. These rules give you the choice of delivering or blocking your telephone number for any interstate (between states) call you make. (The FCC does not regulate blocking and unblocking of intrastate calls.)

•Per-call blocking – To block your phone number and name from appearing on a recipient’s Caller ID unit on a single phone call, dial *67 before dialing the phone number. Your number will not be sent to the other party. You must redial *67 each time you place a new call.

•Per-line blocking – Some states allow customers to select per-line blocking. With this option, your telephone number will be blocked for every call you make on a specific line – unless you use the per-line unblocking option. If you use per-line blocking and want your number to be transmitted to the called party, dial *82 before you dial the number you are calling. You must re-dial *82 each time you place a call.

•Blocking Your Name – Some Caller ID services also transmit the name of the calling party. If you request that your phone number be concealed, FCC rules require that a telephone company also conceal your name.

•800 number/toll-free calls – When you dial a toll-free number, the party you are calling pays for the call. The called party is able to identify your telephone number using a telephone network technology called Automatic Number Identification (ANI). Requesting privacy for your number when you call 800, 888, 877, and 866 numbers from your local telephone company may not prevent its display to the called party. FCC rules, however, prevent parties that own toll-free numbers from reusing or selling the telephone numbers identified through ANI without the subscriber’s consent.

•Emergency Calls – Telephone companies may transmit numbers of subscribers requesting privacy if the call is to a public agency’s emergency telephone line or in conjunction with 911 or poison control services.

Tips for Consumers

Look before you dial:

•To block your telephone number for any call, dial *67 before dialing the telephone number.

•To unblock your number for any call (if you have a blocked line), dial *82 before dialing the telephone number.

Filing a Complaint

If you have caller ID and receive a call from a telemarketer without the required caller ID information, if you suspect that Caller ID information has been falsified, or you think the rules for protecting the privacy of your telephone number have been violated, you can file a complaint with the FCC. There is no charge for filing a complaint. You can file your complaint using an on-line complaint form found at esupport.fcc.gov/complaints.htm. You can also file your complaint with the FCC’s Consumer Center by e-mailing fccinfo@fcc.gov; calling 1-888-CALL-FCC (1-888-225-5322) voice or 1-888-TELL-FCC (1-888-835-5322) TTY; faxing 1-866-418-0232; or writing to:

Federal Communications Commission
Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau
Consumer Inquiries and Complaints Division
445 12th Street, SW
Washington, D.C. 20554.

What to Include in Your Complaint

The best way to provide all the information the FCC needs to process your complaint is to complete fully the on-line complaint form. When you open the on-line complaint form, you will be asked a series of questions that will take you to the particular section of the form you need to complete. If you do not use the on-line complaint form, your complaint, at a minimum, should indicate:

•your name, address, e-mail address, and phone number where you can be reached;

•the names and phone numbers of any companies involved with your complaint;

•the type of service that you are complaining about;

•the telephone number or account number for any service you are complaining about;

•the date of any bill you are complaining about, the amount of the disputed charges, and the amount of any refund you have received;

•a brief description of the event or action you are complaining about; and

•the resolution you are seeking, such as a credit or refund or a clearer explanation of the charge(s).

For More Information

For information about other telecommunications issues, visit the FCC’s Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau Web site at www.fcc.gov/cgb, or contact the FCC’s Consumer Center using the information provided for filing a complaint.




For this or any other consumer publication in an alternative format
(electronic ASCII text, Braille, large print, or audio) please write or
call us at the address or phone number below, or send an e-mail to FCC504@fcc.gov.

To receive information on this and other FCC consumer topics through
the Commission's electronic subscriber service, visit
www.fcc.gov/cgb/contacts/.

This document is for consumer education purposes only and is not intended to
affect any proceedings or cases involving this subject matter or related issues.

10/20/08

 

Federal Communications Commission · Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau · 445 12th St. S.W. · Washington, DC 20554
1-888-CALL-FCC (1-888-225-5322)  ·  TTY: 1-888-TELL-FCC (1-888-835-5322)  · Fax: 1-866-418-0232  · www.fcc.gov/cgb/ 



last reviewed/updated on 10/21/08  

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We just got a call from this number. One ring. At 1:33 in the morning! It woke me up. Call ID says 'out of area'. Very annoying!

I received calls from this number several times. No messages left

we have received calls from this number several times on our cell phone. The last time they called, I answered the phone and actually talked to them. I found out that they cannot speak English if you talk to them. But they can read it off their call sheet just fine. I told them to take us off their call list and mailing list and any other list they have and do not call again. I also said thank you goodbye. Then I hung up the phone before giving them a chance to say anything else. Hopefully that will work. If not, we will report them to the proper authorities that will take care of these issues.

This man has called several times, can't understand him, but wants to give me $1500.00  other numbers used are 707/567-8004    208/621-2025   Very rude man

received multiple calls with no message

who does this number be long to.... no information when you call it but thank you for calling back and says if you don't won't to receive our promotions but in your phone number.... What company is this and what do they sell.

Same- first call today-did not answer based on caller ID

Just spoke to some foreign dork from this number.  I asked where they got my number, and he said their researchers find the numbers for them.  When I asked the name of his company, he said "Universal Lending Group."  I told him to remove my number from all lists within twelve hours, or I was going to file charges.

You can always tell a company that the phone they've called is a corporate contracted phone number, and solicitation is not permitted.

I received a call and he claims he's from Third Pier Service offering a $1,500 cash advance.  I could not understand him with the strong foreign accent.  I accused him of solicitng and fraud which caused him to hang up.

Received a call from (206) 397-1522. The Caller ID said SOLUTIONS. The man who called had either a strong Hispanic or Middle Eastern accent, and when I said I could not understand him for the excessive background noise (it sounded like a party to me), he promptly hung up on me. As I do not have long distance, I am unable to call back. WhitePages.com says the number is unlisted, but originates from Seattle, Washington. I sincerely hope they call back so I can ask them to tell the partiers in the background to shut up. Once he offers me the cash advance, I will promptly inform him that I do not participate in scams that allow him access to my non-existant checking account, savings account, or credit card, and if they do not cease calling my home I will file telephone harassment charges against them and the company who purchases lists of unlisted phone numbers. Let's see what he has to say then!