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“PREVENTING HARASSMENT THROUGH OUTBOUND NUMBER ENFORCEMENT (PHONE) ACT OF 2007” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Justice was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E620 on March 23, 2007.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
PREVENTING HARASSMENT THROUGH OUTBOUND NUMBER ENFORCEMENT (PHONE) ACT
OF 2007
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speech of
HON. SHEILA JACKSON-LEE
of texas
in the house of representatives
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I strongly support H.R. 740, because it is important that we broaden the scope of current law to prohibit a person from engaging in ``spoofing,'' which is the use of incorrect, fake or fraudulent caller identification--caller ID--to hide their identity in order to facilitate a fraudulent telephone call to the recipient. In addition, the bill provides the tools needed for the Department of Justice to prosecute and protect against criminals who engage in spoofing.
H.R. 740, the Preventing Harassment through Outbound Number Enforcement--PHONE--Act of 2007, is intended to help protect consumers from harassment, identity theft, and other crimes. The legislation creates a new Federal crime to prohibit using or providing, in interstate or foreign commerce, false caller ID information with the intent to defraud.
Recently, the technology needed to spoof has become readily available, either through the purchase of Internet telephone equipment or through Web sites specifically set up to spoof. For example, Voice-
over-Internet-Protocol--VOIP--equipment can easily be configured to populate the caller ID field with information of the user's choosing. Some of the technology can block any back technology such as the star symbol or dash 69.
Caller ID spoofing is a form of identity theft that can cause damaged credit and financial ruin. Call recipients sometimes divulge personal and private information to the spoofer, under the mistaken belief that the caller is a legitimate caller. For example, the AARP--formerly the American Association of Retired Persons--has reported cases in which people received calls that made false claims that they missed jury duty. To avoid prosecution, these individuals were told they needed to provide their Social Security number and other personal information. The phone number that appeared on their caller ID was from the local courthouse, so people assumed the caller was telling the truth.
In addition to identity theft, spoofing invades the privacy of those individuals whose caller ID is used to mask fraudulent calls and can be used as a form of aggressive harassment. The use of this technology has been linked to fraud, prank telephone calls, political attacks, and telemarketers who attempt to avoid the current ``do not call'' limits.
Mr. Speaker, I strongly support H.R. 740 and urge my colleagues to join me in voting for its passage.
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