Scamming technique known as spoofing

When the phone rang at one Westminster business last week, the caller I-D displayed the name and phone number of Oconee Sheriff Mike Crenshaw. But it was not Crenshaw calling. Instead the Sheriff’s Office believes this was a scam—a computer-generated call that offered the business a sales pitch to get leads. It’s a technique called “spoofing.” And, according to the FCC, spoofing is used by criminals to falsify their names or the number they are calling from. These scammers can make it appear they are calling from your bank, a finance company, a government office, or someone from you local area code. In fact, they may be calling from hundreds or thousands of miles away. It’s a reminder to never give out personal information over the phone because the companies and businesses you deal with have that personal information. And, remember if an offer sounds too good to be true, more than likely it is.