(WHAS11) This week’s Consumer Watch is a warning from the Better Business Bureau about something called Spoofing. It's normally used by scam artists to trick people into thinking a phone call is coming from somewhere that it's not.
In the era of Caller I.D., it's easy to know who's calling before you even pick up the phone. Let's face it, we use that information to determine if we are even going to pick up the phone. Unfortunately, however, you can no longer trust that the information on you Caller I.D. is accurate.
"It's so easy now for people just to download an app, or use certain technologies to pretend like they are someone else, to prank call someone; to scam someone. It's unfortunate,” says Reanna Smith-Hamblin with the Better Business Bureau. Smith-Hamblin says to be careful because when it comes to scamming, there's an app for that.
Scam artists are using what's known as Spoofing to pretend they're your bank or your insurance company, thinking it's more likely that you'll pick up the phone and share personal information with them; but when you're spoofed, the number on your Caller I.D. is disguised as another number.
It's also technology that can be used to stalk and harass. "…cussing me out, calling me names and knows what I look like, knows what time my husband gets home from work, and everything else; and it's freaking me out," said one victim. "He says, ah, he's Satan or I know you…"
Coming up on WHAS11 News at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, we're going to introduce you to two, of many, women who are being contacted constantly by what appears to be the same guy; unfortunately, police are kind of stumped on this one as well. So the calls the threats and the harassment continue.
We'll also contact the company providing the technology for this Spoofing to happen. You may be shocked by what they tell us to do about it.
If you have a Consumer Tip for Andy, he wants to hear from you. Send him an email at consumerwatch@whas11.com
