This content was created by Robert Siciliano. This content was uploaded by Robert Siciliano. This is a YouTube news segment titled "Congresman Mike Capuano Phone Number Spoofed" (Fox 25) dated 2016-05-13. Reporter Sharmin Siketty describes thousands of obscene and harassing spoofed calls to Congressman Mike Capuano’s D.C. office that jammed phone lines; the excerpt includes quotes from Capuano, reporting by Siketty, and comments from security expert Robert Siciliano (Hotspot Shield) explaining caller ID spoofing and advising turning off caller ID/keeping phone numbers private.
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Imagine this: you pick up your phone and hear disturbing sexual comments on the other end. Thousands of those calls went out to Massachusetts homes, and they are being traced to a local congressman's office. Fox 25 talked to Congressman Mike Capuano tonight, and our political reporter Sharmin Siketty tells us how this scam really jammed up his phone lines. Sharmin? Yeah, it got so bad, the lines so jammed, the staff actually had to stop answering the phone at the congressman's DC office.
Congressman Mike Capuano tells us the calls are starting to slow down, but they're not over, and they're coming in from all over the country.
"Did you just call us? And if so, who are you?" I go, "Who are you?
And no, we didn't call anybody." This started last week and got worse. One phone provider reported 23,000 calls in one day to his D.C. office.
My staff was buried last week. We had to turn the phones on voicemail. We had to stop answering the phones.
He'd been spoofed. Someone making calls to people using Capuano's D.C. office phone number as their caller ID. He says some were deeply disturbing. And in this letter to the FCC, writes, One individual reported to us that a male caller tried to sell her drugs and then made graphic sexual comments.
It just seems like we were a random victim.
How does someone like a congressman protect themselves against this?
Very difficult, especially when you're in the public eye.
Robert Siciliano is a security expert with Hotspot Shield.
The best way to protect yourself is essentially to turn off caller ID and to keep your phone number private the same way you'd keep your Social Security number or credit card number private.
Congressman Capuano did notify Capitol Police, but he doesn't believe his office was targeted for a reason or a particular position he's taken on an issue. Sharmin Siketty, Fox 25 News.
