Tennessee Cracks Down On Caller ID Cons

NASHVILLE, TN — Scammers who spoof caller ID information face stiff new fines under a new Tennessee law.

A revision to the Anti-Phishing Act of 2006 makes it a Class A misdemeanor "to send inaccurate or misleading caller ID information with the intent to defraud, harm or steal." The law also allows the state's Attorney-General to seek a court order levying a fine of $10,000 per violation. The law goes into effect July 1. (For more updates on this story and free news alerts for your neighborhood, sign up for your local Middle Tennessee Patch morning newsletter.)

“As scammers become more sophisticated and sharpen their deceitful tactics, we must adapt in order to continue to protect consumers, especially the vulnerable and elderly,” said Tennessee Commerce & Insurance Commissioner Julie Mix McPeak. “These new protections give our partners in law enforcement more ways to punish bad actors and, hopefully, prevent scammers from hurting our senior population.”

The TDCI offers advice to Tennesseans to prevent being schemed by a caller ID spoofer:

• Don’t answer the phone if your number shows up on your phone’s Caller ID.
• Don’t attempt to call the number back, and do not press any buttons if prompted.
• If you do answer the call, don’t give out your personal or financial information. Never give your personal information over the phone to someone you don’t know.
• If you believe you’re the victim of an ID Spoofing scam, call TDCI’s Division of Consumer Affairs at (615) 741-4737 or file a complaint online.
• If you lost money on a scam as a result of ID Spoofing, immediately report the theft to your local police or sheriff’s department.

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