Scammers Using Caller ID Spoofing To Dupe Victims
CASTLE ROCK, Colo. (CBS4) - It's the newest twist on an old phone scam, and it's hit some Denver area residents.
Scammers are using caller ID to convince potential victims into picking up the phone by listing the homeowner's own phone number and name on the screen.
Willow Kauffman, a Castle Rock resident, cancelled her old number after it was compromised Tuesday afternoon.
"We came over and we looked at our caller ID, and we saw that it had our name and phone number, and that so startled us," she said.
The Better Business Bureau said it's called caller ID spoofing.
"It's a robo call," the BBB says. "Victims have reported several different phishing scams. In one common version, a recording prompts you to verify your credit card number under the guise of lowering your interest rates."
Kauffman's answering machine picked up the call before she could, but she says the experience was jarring.
"I felt kind of uncomfortable. What does it mean? Was somebody using our phone number? I just wasn't quite sure," she said.
The BBB says the scammers purchase lists of phone numbers and use spoofing technology to trick victims and ensure their numbers aren't blocked.
"You feel so vulnerable that all your private information just seems to be taken. Places that you thought it was secure, it's not anymore," Kauffman said.
The BBB says a good lesson here is never to trust caller ID, hang up immediately and never divulge financial information over the phone.
