Outlaws Common Trick Of Fraudsters
Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Assemblywoman Amy Paulin announced passage of legislation that will protect New Yorkers from unwanted phone calls made by users who mask their identity with fraudulent caller identification information.
“This fraudulent activity claims two victims-New York consumers who are being harassed and those unfortunate individuals whose identities are being stolen and used to deceitful ends,” said Silver. “This legislation takes a necessary step towards blocking this activity and restoring the public’s trust in our telecommunications technology.”
The bill (A.496, sponsored by Paulin) prevents business entities from altering caller identification information with the intent to defraud or harass a third party or the recipient of the call, a practice also referred to as “spoofing.”
This legislation seeks to end this practice by making spoofing a violation of the general business law, and authorizing the attorney general and private parties to seek both injunctive and monetary relief.
