South Florida Spoof Scam Targets Transgender Women

[Shana A]

South Florida Spoof Scam Targets Transgender Women
Monday, 14 January 2013 16:21 Written by The Transvestigator - Victoria Michaels

http://www.southfloridagaynews.com/news/local-news/8642-south-florida-spoof-scam-targets-transgender-women.html

If you think it's safe to answer a call on your mobile phone by glancing at the caller ID — think again.

It's called "caller ID spoofing," and while it's legal in some situations, a recent number of criminal cases have security experts questioning if the law should be changed.

[...]

Spoofcard and TraceBust promote themselves as a fun and legal way to pull a phone prank on someone, but a few local Broward County transsexuals would disagree as they recently became victims of a spoofer's scam seeking to extort them for cash.

The transgender victims offered to come forward with the details of their allegations under the conditions of anonymity, and by agreement to only be referred to by their first names.

The scammer, who identifies himself as male, began calling TS Angel earlier in January and demanded that she sent him $150 through Western Union immediately, or he threatened to make her life a living hell. Because the scammer utilized "spoofing technology," he claims the incoming calls are untraceable and hails that he will never be caught.

[Jamie D]

If they catch this spoofer, they should hang him up by the cahones.  It is nothing less than blackmail.

[crazy at the coast]

caller id spoofing shouldn't be legal under any circumstances.

[Elspeth]

caller id spoofing shouldn't be legal under any circumstances.

If it's technically possible, its legality is largely irrelevant. Just saying... making it illegal is not much of a disincentive for someone who is already committing illegal acts: extortion, blackmail, criminal threat. The best long-term solution, where this applies to us, would be to educate the public and make gender identity issues more widely known, and eliminate the stigma and ignorance that place us at risk of exploitation.