Beware Caller ID Spoofing

This is slightly outside of the scope of Internet / Network Security, but it is a threat resulting from technology and one which could impact readers of this site. According to this article by Leigha Cardwell at SearchUnifiedCommunications, residents in Delaware were recently awakened in the wee hours by phone calls allegedly from Jenny, at '867-5309'. If you weren't around in the 80's, or you didn't listen to Top 40 pop in the 80's, you may not be aware that '867-5309' was a phone number from a popular song in which the singer wanted to get a hold of 'Jenny'. The real perpetrator of the phone calls was apparently a mortgage refinancing company trying to solicit business in a form of telephone 'spam'. You are most likely used to receiving spam emails which appear to have been sent by someone other than the true sender. Now, those seeking to compromise your personal information or steal your identity can spoof their caller ID information to appear to be from a reputable company. This caller ID spoofing will both increase the odds of you answering the call to begin with, and establish a false trust with the caller. Take a look at Complete guide to caller ID spoofing: Safeguarding your resources for more information and tips to protect yourself.