An increasingly common scam called "spoofing" allows con artists to change their caller ID to anything they choose: a bank, a credit card company, or possibly even a government agency.
The idea is to mask their intentions using a legitimate phone number, and trick North Americans into giving up personal information.
American lawmakers are already trying to ban fake call ID numbers. Currently, only the criminal use of the technology is illegal, rather than the technology itself.
Some devices even let con artists change the pitch and tone of their voice.
"Criminals have used caller ID spoofing to hack into bank accounts and into voice mail accounts, to steal sensitive information," said U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), who is tackling the problem south of the border.
There are hundreds of spoofing companies operating legally online, including the Vancouver-based SpoofTel, which markets itself as "The World's Leader in Caller ID Spoofing."
The company has been in business for years.
"When you call somebody, instead of having it show up as your phone number that you are calling from, you can have it changed to anything you want," SpoofTel spokesperson Ryan Purita told CTV News back in 2005.
Canadian law enforcement officials have been aware of spoofing since 2001, and recommend the public be aware of the problem.
Experts advise people to ask the caller whether they can put their request for personal information in writing.
Wary Canadians can also phone the company the caller claims to represent, using contact information found in the phonebook or another trusted source.
The idea is to mask their intentions using a legitimate phone number, and trick North Americans into giving up personal information.
American lawmakers are already trying to ban fake call ID numbers. Currently, only the criminal use of the technology is illegal, rather than the technology itself.
Some devices even let con artists change the pitch and tone of their voice.
"Criminals have used caller ID spoofing to hack into bank accounts and into voice mail accounts, to steal sensitive information," said U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), who is tackling the problem south of the border.
There are hundreds of spoofing companies operating legally online, including the Vancouver-based SpoofTel, which markets itself as "The World's Leader in Caller ID Spoofing."
The company has been in business for years.
"When you call somebody, instead of having it show up as your phone number that you are calling from, you can have it changed to anything you want," SpoofTel spokesperson Ryan Purita told CTV News back in 2005.
Canadian law enforcement officials have been aware of spoofing since 2001, and recommend the public be aware of the problem.
Experts advise people to ask the caller whether they can put their request for personal information in writing.
Wary Canadians can also phone the company the caller claims to represent, using contact information found in the phonebook or another trusted source.
