FCC collects information from complaints
Published 6:00 pm Wednesday, October 18, 2017
Week before last, I received a call from an acquaintance telling me that our phone number had come up on her caller ID so she answered the call.
The caller told her he was “Phil” and had a medical package for her. She realized it was not anyone at our number, so she hung up and called me to let me know someone was using our phone number in a scam.
I called the Better Business Bureau and was informed this was called spoofing, and was given the number to the FCC.
I called the FCC and relayed this info to them and was told “There is nothing we can do.”
My question now is, what is a person to do to protect themselves? The FCC, which is a branch of our government, sure cannot or does not want to help a citizen out.
Under federal law, spoofing — that is, faking the number that appears on caller ID — isn’t illegal unless the person doing it intends “to defraud, cause harm, or wrongfully obtain anything of value.”
To determine that, the Federal Communications Commission must gather evidence, which includes information provided by consumers in the complaints they file with the agency.
To file a complaint, visit consumercomplaints.fcc.gov.
“Complaints about issues such as loud commercials, the Do Not Call List, robocalls, unwanted telephone calls, unsolicited faxes and similar issues covered by the Telephone Consumer Protection Act are not served but are shared among FCC bureaus and offices,” reads the agency’s website.
“We do not resolve individual complaints on these issues and you will not receive status emails about your complaint. However, the collective data we receive helps us keep a pulse on what consumers are experiencing, may lead to investigations and serves as a deterrent to the companies we regulate.”
What to do if you think you’re being spoofed, according to the FCC:
“Never give out personal information such as account numbers, Social Security numbers, mother’s maiden names, passwords or other identifying information in response to unexpected calls or if you are at all suspicious.”
“If you get an inquiry from someone who says they represent a company or a government agency seeking personal information, hang up and call the phone number on your account statement, in the phone book or on the company’s or government agency’s website to verify the authenticity of the request.”
“Use caution if you are being pressured for information immediately.”
“If you have a voice mail account with your phone service, be sure to set a password for it. Some voicemail services are preset to allow access if you call in from your own phone number. A hacker could spoof your home phone number and gain access to your voice mail if you do not set a password.”
For more information, contact the FCC at 888-225-5322. The TTY number is 888-835-5322; the American sign language videophone number is 844-432-2275; and the fax number is 866-418-0232.
For more infromation, visit www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/spoofing-and-caller-id.
