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:
-
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.
-
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.)
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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:
-
To block your telephone number for any
call, dial *67 before dialing the telephone number.
-
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. There is no charge for filing a complaint. You can file
your complaint using an on-line complaint form found at
esupport.fcc.gov/complaints.htm. You can also file your
complaint with 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.
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. When you open the on-line complaint
form, you will be asked a series of questions that will take you
to the particular section of the form you need to complete. If
you do not use the on-line complaint form, your complaint, at a
minimum, should indicate:
-
your name, address, e-mail address, and
phone number where you can be reached;
-
the names and phone numbers of any
companies involved with your complaint;
-
the type of service that you are
complaining about;
-
the telephone number or account number for
any service you are complaining about;
-
the date of any bill you are complaining
about, the amount of the disputed charges, and the amount of any
refund you have received;
-
a brief description of the event or action
you are complaining about; and
-
the resolution you are seeking, such as a
credit or refund or a clearer explanation of the charge(s).
For More Information
For information about other
telecommunications issues, visit the FCC’s Consumer &
Governmental Affairs Bureau Web site at
www.fcc.gov/cgb, or contact the FCC’s Consumer Center
using the information provided for filing a complaint. |
|