It’s become trivial to spoof Caller ID, at least for those who want to go to the effort of doing so.
In the last few years, Caller ID spoofing has become much easier. Millions of people have Internet telephone equipment that can be set to make any number appear on a Caller ID system. And several websites have sprung up to provide Caller ID spoofing services, eliminating the need for any special hardware.
For instance, Spoofcard.com sells a virtual “calling card” for $10 that provides 60 minutes of talk time. The user dials a toll-free number, then keys in the destination number and the Caller ID number to display. The service also provides optional voice scrambling, to make the caller sound like someone of the opposite sex.
On the other hand, for most people, this is not going to be an issue. At worst, it means don’t trust what Caller ID is telling you about who’s calling up asking for your credit card number — but, then, you shouldn’t be trusting that anyway. It’s no different, in that way, from the long-established fact that e-mail headers can be spoofed, and you shouldn’t trust something that comes through looking like it’s from Chase Bank — whether on the phone or by e-mail — actually is.
But for spotting that you’re getting a call from a family, friend, acquaintance, etc., you don’t want to chat with right now, Caller ID will still work for that sort of thing, as long as it’s not a stalker or an angry ex-whatever trying to track you down for alimony. Just don’t bet your life, or your finances, on it.
(via GeekPress)