Re: Receiving a Harassment / unsolicited calls With Number Identified
deloused
Master - Level 3

While blocking may help in some cases, because some callers often alter the number sent to display on caller ID frequently, it definitely doesn't help block other numbers that appear when they call.

Having a false phone number appear on caller ID instead of the actual phone number is called 'caller ID spoofing'. (Check it out on Google for more info) Verizon or any phone company can't prevent that. Caller ID spoofing is not illegal, however committing a crime in conjunction with caller ID spoofing is. For example, I download a free caller ID spoof app, allowing me to call anyone I want, and have any phone number I choose appear on their caller ID. I called my boss from her boss's number, my mom from her neighbors phone number, and my co-worker from our boss's number to play a joke on them. If I knew your phone number I could call whoever I choose and have your number appear on their caller ID also. If I did that and attempted to commit a crime on those calls like harass them, get thier credit card/ personal info/ etc by impersonating someone else that would be a crime. Depending on the level of the crime it should be reported to either law enforcement or the investigating agency. Phone companies have no control over the way a a person or company uses spoofing, since it doesn't originate from their system, they come from apps/programs on phones, computers and dialers. 

Customer service can assist with blocking and changing someone's phone number if they're receiving unwanted calls, whether someone is on the DNC list or not. Verizon's policy to comply with the DNC registry and FCC law is for VERIZON to not call people on the DNC list. That's it, just like every other company. There's no policy loophole, a DNC violator may call you with a number showing on your caller-ID from California, but they could really be in India, and then they could change the spoof number and call you right back and have it show as from New York. That's why reporting DNC violator calls to a phone company does no good, they can't help other than offering block or number change options, since the caller knows your number, and they don't know who is really calling you either, and dont have the ability to find the offender or where the call actually originated from. 

I guess the closest analogy I can think of is- if someone sends you unwanted, harassing, threatening letters in the mail you would want to contact the appropriate authorities, not the post office that delivered the letter.

Many of the larger DNC violators aren't just calling one person, they're likely doing it to many, people all over the county accross multiple carriers, wireless and landlines, making the violation charges even larger so that the caller/company who is violating the DNC by making the calls can be levied with even larger fines and even shut down by the government if the FCC is able to track them down. They actually have caught some.

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