Concerned about the increasing popularity of "fake caller id" apps

[geek.shanu]

These apps like voxox, ID changer and all that lets you spoof your phone number when calling by sending any caller id you want, are becoming very popular and that's alarming. One can very well imagine the potential threat to our privacy if such apps are misused. I don't understand why apps like PSX4droid get banned on android market for vague reasons while such apps that pose a potential threat on everyone's privacy are allowed ?

Can anyone suggest some ways to protect ourself from such caller id spoofing and fake calls?

[kenjoe41]

It is not the weapon, my friend. It is the user.
You will realise soon that the gun comes in handy when you are under attack from someone with a machete, and you have the gun.

[geek.shanu]

It is not the weapon, my friend. It is the user.
You will realise soon that the gun comes in handy when you are under attack from someone with a machete, and you have the gun.

I agree. But giving such privacy-infiltrating weapons in the hands of the mass with a majority of them being inexperienced and ignorant. It poses a privacy risk to the everyone. I think allowing such apps on an regulated market is simply "foolish".

[kenjoe41]

If spoofing a call was that difficult, then we would,'t be having alot of those apps online. We probably would have then at a quite good price or only in the underground.
Get an interest group and air your views to global telecom companies, otherwise just sit back, bitch and moan about it.

[d4rkcat]

The more people use an exploit, the more awareness will spread about it, and this will make the danger of the vulnerability diminish.
If you trust that the number that appears on your phone caller ID is any kind of legitimate form of ID, you are in for a long hard road.

[geek.shanu]

I just wanted to know if there's any way to block such calls from any such fake id apps. I recently got into some serious shit because of a call from a fake id.

[madf0x]

Pretty much your options involve using google to discover that youd need to file a complaint with your provider and/or file a complaint with the FCC

http://www.fcc.gov/guides/caller-id-and-spoofing

[zenith]

I just wanted to know if there's any way to block such calls from any such fake id apps. I recently got into some serious shit because of a call from a fake id.

Just be more careful in the future. Don't trust caller ID, and simply ask to call any authority figure back at their extension to continue the conversation. Before calling back, obviously check that the number you're calling is for the legitimate company/organization. If you're trying to reach your bank and the guy gives you a personal cell number in lieu of a 1800 number with an extension that's available publicly on the website then I would probably raise an eyebrow.

Spoofing a caller ID is really just the icing on the cake in a more targeted social engineering attack; if you're going to go through the trouble to spoof a caller ID, then you (should) already know something about your target to know which ID is going to work. If you're trying to spoof a call from your target's bank, you'd better know which bank they use, etc.

Regardless of caller ID I'd say it's a good practice to call the organization back instead... there are plenty of people out there who can talk slick enough to scam someone over a phone without bothering to spoof an ID.