The Dark Side of Spoofing: Phone Scam Kingpin Sentenced to 13 Years in Prison

Phone Scamming Kingpin Gets 13 Years for Running “iSpoof” Service

On May 22, 2023, it was reported that a UK court had sentenced Tejay Fletcher, the kingpin behind the “iSpoof” service, to 13 years and 4 months in prison. The online service allowed users to spoof their caller ID, essentially faking their identity when calling someone. While the service may have been technically legal in some countries, the UK court found that it was implemented with malfeasance in mind. The Met identified more than 50,000 users of the service, with close to 200 people already arrested and under investigation in the UK alone. The total reported loss from those targeted via iSpoof is £48 million in the UK alone, with an average loss believed to be £10,000.

The Danger of Caller ID Spoofing

Caller ID Spoofing is a widespread technique used by cybercriminals and phone scammers to mislead and deceive their targets. They use this technique to call victims, pretending to be someone trustworthy, like a bank, in order to acquire information, steal money, or spread malware. Spoofing is easy to use and available to anyone who wants to hide or fake their real phone number.

The Irrelevance of Caller ID and Identification

The name “Caller ID” might suggest to some that it is an identification tool, but it’s crucial to understand that it is not. Rather, it is merely a hint at the identity of the caller, which is chock full of potential false, misleading information. With spoofing becoming easier to execute, the trust of the caller and phone-based identification has become useless. Defending against such threats takes more than just technology; it takes a robust understanding of how to recognize these scams and safe practices when handling sensitive information.

The Impact of iSpoof and What to Do

iSpoof’s impact on society has been devastating, with many people losing money, time, and their trust in such vital institutions as banks. Initiating calls only from official numbers, being available for vulnerable family members, and treating Caller ID as a “hint” are all ways to stop personal information from being accessed by phone scammers. People can spread information about these strategies and educate others in such defenses to minimize the risk of falling into the traps set by call-scammers.