Prepared Statement of The Honorable Joe Barton H.R. 5126, the Truth in Caller ID Act of 2006 Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet May 18, 2006 Thank you for calling this hearing today on H.R. 5126, the “Truth in Caller ID Act of 2006,” introduced by myself and Rep. Engel. This bill is necessary to shut down the growing problem of manipulating caller ID information. Caller ID “spoofing” occurs when a caller masquerades as someone else by falsifying the number that appears on the recipient's caller ID display. Everyone is familiar with the caller ID product that provides to a consumer the name and number of who is placing an incoming call. Unfortunately, caller ID spoofing is yet another tool available to criminals to hijack the identity of consumers. For instance, the AARP recently ran a “scam alert” when someone posing to be a courthouse employee called a Sterling, Michigan woman claiming that she had missed jury duty that week. The caller threatened that a warrant was being issued for her arrest and then asked her to confirm her Social Security number, to verify her identity. This scam can appear even more real when the con artist uses a caller ID "spoofing" product which allows the con to display the name and number of the courthouse on the caller ID box. As with other scams, the Internet is making Caller ID spoofing even easier. There are now websites that offer subscribers, for a nominal fee, a simple web interface to caller ID spoofing systems that lets them appear to be calling from any number they choose. Some of these web services boast that they do not maintain logs and fail to provide any contact information. Some even offer voice scrambling services which make the caller sound like someone of the opposite sex. But a con artist does not necessarily need to utilize a spoofing website to manipulate caller ID information. Some providers of voice over Internet-Protocol, or VoIP, services allow their customers to tinker with the caller ID information. Certainly, this may not always be done for a deceptive or malicious purpose, but it offers those who wish to do harm an easier way to part consumers with their money. I understand the FCC is currently investigating the caller ID spoofing problem, but frankly, I find it hard to believe that today, there is no prohibition against sending false or deceptive caller ID information. H.R. 5126, the “Truth in Caller ID Act of 2006” remedies this problem. H.R. 5126 specifically prohibits sending misleading or inaccurate caller ID information. It covers traditional telephone calls as well as VoIP calls, and provides a specific exemption for authorized law enforcement actions. I understand that there may be a need for additional exemptions, and I’m anxious to hear from our witnesses how the exemption issue should be handled as we move toward markup. Consumers use caller ID services to protect themselves from unwanted calls and contact, including from those who may want to do them harm. They should be able to rely on the caller ID information coming to them on a caller ID box, and H.R. 5126 will do just that. I want to thank the Chairman Upton for holding this hearing today and I yield back my time. Related Documents