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Background
Caller Identification or “Caller ID” allows
you to identify a caller before you answer your telephone. It is
an optional telephone service, available from your local
telephone service provider for an additional monthly fee. A
caller’s number and/or name are displayed either on your phone
(if your phone has this feature) or on an external display unit
that you can buy separately. The number and/or name will appear
on the display unit or on your phone after the first ring. This
service also lets you identify yourself to the person you are
calling.
Caller ID service, however, is susceptible
to fraud. Using a practice known as “caller ID spoofing,”
disreputable parties can deliberately falsify the telephone
number relayed as the Caller ID number to disguise the identity
and originator of the call. Congress is currently considering
new laws that would make this practice a crime and permit law
enforcement authorities to take action against spoofers.
FCC Caller ID Rules for Telemarketers
Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
rules prohibit telemarketers from blocking Caller ID information
and require them to pass accurate caller ID numbers. FCC rules
specifically require that a telemarketer:
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transmit or display its telephone
number, and, if possible, its name or the name and telephone
number of the company for which it is selling products or
services.
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display a telephone number that you can
call during regular business hours to ask to no longer be
called. This rule applies even to companies that already
have an established business relationship with you.
For violations of these rules, the FCC can
seek a monetary fine. If the violator is not an FCC licensee,
the FCC must first issue a warning and the telemarketer may be
fined only for violations committed after the warning.
Rules for Blocking and Unblocking Your
Telephone Number
The FCC’s Caller ID rules protect the
privacy of the person calling by requiring telephone companies
to make available free, simple, and uniform per-line blocking
and unblocking procedures. These rules give you the choice of
delivering or blocking your telephone number for any interstate
(between states) call you make. (The FCC does not regulate
blocking and unblocking of intrastate calls.)
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Per-call blocking – To block your phone
number and name from appearing on a recipient’s Caller ID
unit on a single phone call, dial *67 before dialing the
phone number. Your number will not be sent to the other
party. You must redial *67 each time you place a new call.
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Per-line blocking – Some states allow
customers to select per-line blocking. With this option,
your telephone number will be blocked for every call you
make on a specific line – unless you use the per-line
unblocking option. If you use per-line blocking and want
your number to be transmitted to the called party, dial *82
before you dial the number you are calling. You must re-dial
*82 each time you place a call.
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Blocking Your Name – Some Caller ID
services also transmit the name of the calling party. If you
request that your phone number be concealed, FCC rules
require that a telephone company also conceal your name.
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800 number/toll-free calls – When you
dial a toll-free number, the party you are calling pays for
the call. The called party is able to identify your
telephone number using a telephone network technology called
Automatic Number Identification (ANI). Requesting privacy
for your number when you call 800, 888, 877, and 866 numbers
from your local telephone company may not prevent its
display to the called party. FCC rules, however, prevent
parties that own toll-free numbers from reusing or selling
the telephone numbers identified through ANI without the
subscriber’s consent.
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Emergency Calls – Telephone companies
may transmit numbers of subscribers requesting privacy if
the call is to a public agency’s emergency telephone line or
in conjunction with 911 or poison control services.
Tips for Consumers
Look before you dial:
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To block your telephone number for any
call, dial *67 before dialing the telephone number.
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To unblock your number for any call (if
you have a blocked line), dial *82 before dialing the
telephone number.
Filing a Complaint
If you have caller ID and receive a call from a telemarketer
without the required caller ID information, if you suspect that
Caller ID information has been falsified, or you think the rules
for protecting the privacy of your telephone number have been
violated, you can file a complaint with the FCC. You can file
your complaint electronically using the on-line complaint Form
1088 found on the FCC Web site at www.fcc.gov/cgb/complaints.html.
You can also file your complaint by e-mailing
fccinfo@fcc.gov;
calling 1-888-CALL-FCC (1-888-225-5322) voice or 1-888-TELL-FCC
(1-888-835-5322) TTY; faxing 1-866-418-0232; or writing to:
Federal Communications Commission
Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau
Consumer Inquiries and Complaints Division
445 12th Street, SW
Washington, D.C. 20554.
What to Include in Your Complaint
The best way to provide all the information
the FCC needs to process your complaint is to complete fully the
on-line complaint Form 1088. If you do not use the on-line
complaint Form 1088, your complaint, at a minimum, should
indicate:
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your name, address, e-mail address, and
phone number where you can be reached;
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the names and phone numbers of any
companies involved with your complaint;
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the type of service that you are
complaining about;
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the telephone number or account number
for any service you are complaining about;
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the date of any bill you are
complaining about, the amount of the disputed charges, and
the amount of any refund you have received;
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a brief description of the event or
action you are complaining about; and
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the resolution you are seeking, such as
a credit or refund or a clearer explanation of the charge(s).
For More Information
For more information about this issue or
any other telecommunications-related issues, visit the FCC’s
Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau Web site at
www.fcc.gov/cgb, or contact the FCC’s
Consumer Center by e-mailing
fccinfo@fcc.gov; calling 1-888-CALL-FCC (1-888-225-5322)
voice or 1-888-TELL-FCC (1-888-835-5322) TTY; faxing
1-866-418-0232; or writing to:
Federal Communications Commission
Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau
Consumer Inquiries and Complaints Division
445 12th Street, SW
Washington, D.C. 20554.
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Federal Communications Commission
