SCI/TECH: Caller ID can No Longer be Trusted, page 1

posted on Apr, 14 2005 @ 01:03 PM

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A spoofing technique enabling anyone to fake the caller ID information and number is beginning to see widespread use. So far, it has mostly been used for harmless prank calls and by telemarketers to hide their identity. Companies are springing up all over offering services that alter the ID information on a call. The pranks have now become potentially deadly. A SWAT team was dispatched by a caller and fake caller ID information was transmitted to them.

www.startribune.com
New Brunswick police received a call from a female claiming she was handcuffed, held hostage and being raped in an apartment. Police surrounded the property for six hours, and the situation made national news. A Texas woman has admitted making the call as part of a potentially deadly prank, known as bombing, which aims to bring tactical or SWAT teams to victims' homes.

The Federal Communications Commission and Federal Trade Commission say they have taken no enforcement actions against these services. But others predict it won't be long before an emergency hoax, identity theft or duped domestic violence victim triggers calls for a crackdown.

Mitnick, who spent almost five years in jail for hacking into companies such as Motorola and Sun Microsystems, says some financial institutions use caller ID to authenticate telephone requests for personal account information. With a few personal tidbits and your spoofed number, he says, an impostor could access your bank or credit card account.

Please visit the link provided for the complete story.

I knew that caller ID information could be altered by unscrupulous companies, because I have seen bogus numbers and names from telemarketers. It was just a matter of time until companies offered a spoofing tool to allow anyone to make calls using whatever name and number they wish.

This sort of makes those phone verification procedures used by banks, credit cards, and online companies, obsolete.

NoPhobos

posted on Apr, 14 2005 @ 09:59 PM

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This is a pretty seriousThis is a pretty serious development. Anyone can now falsify caller ID information and call in stuff like bomb threats or other criminal activities.

It is as easy as typing www.whatever.com

Astronomer68

posted on Apr, 16 2005 @ 09:59 PM

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I for one am glad to see it finally proved unreliable and easy to spoof. It was something we didn't need anyway.

stumason

posted on Apr, 16 2005 @ 10:56 PM

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Is there any information on how this works? I work am a Telecoms engineer and from my understanding of the networks, this is rather alarming.

Crysstaafur

posted on Apr, 16 2005 @ 11:26 PM

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The only why I was aware of CallerID to be altered was by using an 'Orange box'. That was a few years ago. I am sure by now, that other ways have been made and other existing ones have adapted. It is unfortionate that people are now starting to abuse people with tech, when so many postive uses for tech exist. welcome to the 21st century folks

(cynically speaking)

twitchy

posted on Apr, 17 2005 @ 01:24 AM

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Wow digital Phreaking, I thought Phreaking was a dead art.

Majic

posted on Apr, 17 2005 @ 01:40 AM

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The Neverending Story

And another round of technological whack-a-mole begins.

The most reliable consequence of any new technology is that someone will find a way to exploit it in unexpected ways.

World without end, amen.