BATON ROUGE, LA – Caller ID lets consumers avoid unwanted phone calls
by displaying caller names and phone numbers, but Attorney General Jeff Landry
warns that the caller ID feature can be manipulated by spoofers who masquerade
as representatives of banks, creditors, insurance companies, or even the
government.
“Caller ID spoofing, which is the practice of changing the caller ID to
any number other than the one actually calling, is on the uptick in Louisiana,”
said General Landry. “My office and I want to be sure Louisiana citizens know
about this scam and learn how to avoid becoming victim to it.”
General Landry encourages consumers to stay ahead of spoofers by
following these tips for unexpected calls:
- If you get a strange call from a government phone number, hang up. If you want to check it out, visit the official (.gov) website for contact information.
- Do not give out – or confirm – your personal or financial information to someone who calls.
- Never pay someone who calls out of the blue, even if the name or number on the caller ID looks legitimate.
- Do not wire money or send money using a reloadable card.
- If pressured to act immediately, just hang up; that is a sure sign of a scam.
If you receive a call and you suspect caller ID information has been falsified or you think the rules for protecting the privacy of your telephone number have been violated, you can file a complaint online with the Federal Communications Commission at https://consumercomplaints.fcc.gov/hc/en-us/requests/new?ticket_form_id=39744.
Please report caller ID spoofing and other scams to General Landry’s Consumer Protection Hotline at 800-351-4889. And please learn more consumer tips at www.AGJeffLandry.com.