Quote:
Originally Posted by geekmaster
And it is easy for anybody to forge the caller ID information. It could be anybody from anywhere, showing up as your bank's phone number and name. Emergency services (911) do not use caller ID information (they have access to your real telephone number).
For example, a PBX phone system commonly used in most companies can be programmed to return only the phone number of the receptionist, regardless of which outgoing telephone number originated the call. A PBX can also be programmed to show that the calls originated from the White House in Washington, DC USA.
There are also online service that will place VOIP calls FROM any telephone number of your choosing, even your bank.
I recently got a call from the "IRS" claiming they started a lawsuit against me. I hung up and called the IRS, and they said my account is current and no action. Just an identify-theft attempt, apparently.
So beware of any INCOMING calls that ask for personal information, even if (and perhaps especially if) it sounds "important".
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Our "IRS" calls are all in Spanish.
Oh and never give out personal information unless you made the call.
Now when we did have a problem with a credit card. The only thing the person on the other end asked was do we have the credit card in hand and did you make a purchase in another state. They said ok, we already canceled the card. A new one is on the way.