Texas Caller ID ‘Spoofing’ Ban Starts Today
Several new laws go into effect in Texas today, 820 new laws to be exact. There are new rules in the Lone Star state from the legal smoking age to the way female inmates in Texas jails are treated - and just about everything in between. Not to take away from the importance of the other new regulations, but possibly my favorite is one that hog-ties the worst among us - Telemarketers.
For a while now, these devious snakes in the phone have found a way to change the way their phone number appears when they call you during dinner or a meeting with your boss. They can disguise their number and the locations from which the call is being made, making you more likely to answer the one millionth call about your cars extended warranty.
If the call is coming from Mumbai, you are more likely to peg it as a scam. If the call is from Marshall Texas, and has a 903 area code - you might think it is a friend or family member. My favorite is when they make it look like the call is coming from your number. You gotta answer that, it could be you from the future with the winning lotto numbers!
All kidding aside, lawmakers in Texas have made this practice illegal starting today. According to News 4 San Antonio, the practice is already banned federally but the new law in Texas will allow the state to levy huge fines against the companies that violate it.