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Mar 01, 2010 -- Caller ID spoofing makes a comeback

RIP-OFF ALERT: Have you heard of caller ID spoofing? About three or four years ago, some criminal rings started using technology that allowed them to trick your caller ID into thinking they were calling from a bank.

Now the newest wrinkle in caller ID spoofing involves corporate espionage and jealous significant others. A number of "services" will sell you the ability to temporarily spoof a cell phone network into thinking you are the legitimate user. That allows you to dial into voicemail and hear someone else's messages.

Fortunately, there's a very easy fix to this problem. Clark's cellular provider makes him punch in a four-digit secret code when he accesses voicemails. This used to annoy him to no end, but now that he understands its value he appreciates it.

Thankfully, you can request your cell carrier to implement this extra security measure if they're not already doing so.

Unfortunately, Clark won't be able to answer any questions submitted via commenting. If you have a question, please try posting it to our message boards.

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What others are saying

  • privacy director
    just add the above service to your line. The spammer must announce who they are and allow you to acceopt or reject the call. If they mummble the name-REJECT!
  • A new wrinkle in the spoofing?
    I dunno if it's a problem with my phone company's awful lines or a new trick, but a lot of unwanted callers are now no longer showing up on my caller ID at all. I just get "Data Unavailable" or "Data Corrupted". This means no adding to the reject list on my old Caller ID device and no idea of who's calling. Yuck!
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