Windsor Locks Police Warn of Caller ID 'Spoofing' Scams

Windsor Locks Police are warning residents to be on the lookout of caller ID ”spoofing” scams in which the caller ID says it’s from your bank or some other organization where it sounds legit... but it’s not.

Read more from the police department below:

Beware of these caller ID spoofing scams

Do you know what caller ID spoofing is? It’s a big problem with fraud rings. It’s where the phone rings and the caller ID says it’s from your bank, or the hospital, or wherever, so you answer thinking it’s a legit call. But it’s not; the crooks can make that caller ID say anything.

In any given month, the Federal Trade Commission gets about 170,000 complaints about robocalls. That’s over 2 million fraud calls a year!

Beware of these caller ID spoofing scams

In one example, con artists can pop up the name of your bank on your caller ID. If you answer the call, you’ll be told there’s a problem with your account and then need to verify info. Don’t do it; any account info you divulge can be used to breach your account.

In other instances, con artists are even popping up the names of charities on your caller ID to con you into giving them money.

Caller ID is not the protection you once thought. So if a call comes in and you don’t recognize the number or name, let it go to voicemail. If the caller claims to be from your bank, don’t give out any info. Call back at a number you know to be valid for your bank and determine if there are in fact any problems with your account.

Senior citizens are at particular risk to caller ID spoofs that may come in to a landline phone. But the spoofs aren’t limited to landlines; they’re now on cell phones too.