![]() If a telephone number is blocked or labeled as a "potential scam" or "spam" on your caller ID, it is possible the number has been spoofed. There are legitimate, legal uses for spoofing, like when a doctor calls a patient from her personal mobile phone and displays the office number rather than the personal phone number or a business displays its toll-free call-back number. Anyone who is illegally spoofing can face penalties of up to $10,000 for each violation. Under the Truth in Caller ID Act, FCC rules prohibit anyone from transmitting misleading or inaccurate caller ID information with the intent to defraud, cause harm or wrongly obtain anything of value. To help combat neighbor spoofing, the FCC is requiring the phone industry to adopt a robust caller ID authentication system. Robocallers use neighbor spoofing, which displays a phone number similar to your own on your caller ID, to increase the likelihood that you will answer the call. It is likely that within hours they will no longer be using your number. Usually, scammers switch numbers frequently. You can also place a message on your voicemail letting callers know that your number is being spoofed. We suggest first that you do not answer any calls from unknown numbers, but if you do, explain that your telephone number is being spoofed and that you did not actually make any calls. If you get calls from people saying your number is showing up on their caller ID, it's likely that your number has been spoofed. ![]() Q&A's What can you do if your number is being spoofed? Remember to check your voicemail periodically to make sure you aren't missing important calls and to clear out any spam calls that might fill your voicemail box to capacity. More information about robocall blocking is available at fcc.gov/robocalls. The FCC allows phone companies to block robocalls by default based on reasonable analytics. Talk to your phone company about call blocking tools and check into apps that you can download to your mobile device.A hacker could spoof your home phone number and gain access to your voice mail if you do not set a password. Some voicemail services are preset to allow access if you call in from your own phone number. If you have a voice mail account with your phone service, be sure to set a password for it.Use caution if you are being pressured for information immediately.You will usually get a written statement in the mail before you get a phone call from a legitimate source, particularly if the caller is asking for a payment. If you get an inquiry from someone who says they represent a company or a government agency, hang up and call the phone number on your account statement, in the phone book, or on the company's or government agency's website to verify the authenticity of the request.Never give out personal information such as account numbers, Social Security numbers, mother's maiden names, passwords or other identifying information in response to unexpected calls or if you are at all suspicious.Do not respond to any questions, especially those that can be answered with "Yes" or "No.".Scammers often use this trick to identify potential targets. If you answer the phone and the caller - or a recording - asks you to hit a button to stop getting the calls, you should just hang up.If you answer such a call, hang up immediately. Don't answer calls from unknown numbers.Be extremely careful about responding to any request for personal identifying information. You may not be able to tell right away if an incoming call is spoofed.
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