Florida Officials Seek To Outlaw Spoofing

Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Charles H. Bronson announced this month that he is proposing legislation that would outlaw commercial telemarketers from using new technology that disguises their identity.

The practice - known as “ID spoofing” - enables telephone callers to insert any name or phone number that he or she wishes to show up on the caller ID feature of the person being called. In some cases, it even allows the caller to change his or her voice - for example, from male to female, or adult to child.

“We can see no legitimate reason for a telephone sales person to use such technology,” Bronson said. “In fact, the only conclusion we can draw from a telemarketer who would use that kind of device is that the sales person wants to deceive consumers for the purpose of ripping them off.”
Numerous websites advertising this service can be found on the internet, including www.spooftel.com, www.spoofcard.com, www.tricktel.com and www.spooftech.com.
A bill being sponsored by Sen. Evelyn Lynn, of Ormond Beach, would prohibit commercial telemarketers from employing the practice and would provide penalties of up to $10,000 for violations of the law.

“We must protect people from the dangers of those who use technology to misrepresent themselves,” Lynn said. “Many times there are predators who endanger our lives and often times our financial security.”

Bronson emphasized that consumers should be extremely vigilant when dealing with unsolicited sales calls and urges Floridians to carefully safeguard personal or financial information, including one’s social security number, date of birth, credit card number and bank account number, unless you’re certain about with whom you’re dealing. With that information, con artists can run up charges on unsuspecting people’s credit cards, clean out their bank accounts and even assume a consumer’s identity for the purpose of opening up additional lines of credit.

“ID spoofing is yet another example of why consumers need to exercise caution with their personal or financial information, Bronson said. “You simply cannot be too careful.”

posted by Consumer Help Web Editorial Team at 11:50 AM |