To many people caller ID has been a savior. We can avoid an awkward dates calls, dodge credit collectors and just always having a chance to answer the phone prepared.
The bad news is that people like Matthew Weigman, 19, are using caller ID to take their pranks to an entire new level. Known as ‘Little Hacker,’ he’d use the 911 system to send SWAT teams to victims’ houses. On Friday, Weigman was sentenced “to more than 11 years in prison Friday for hacking into the telephone network and harassing the Verizon investigator who was building a case against him.”
Weigman was part of a swatters group that make prank 911 calls, but they use spoofing technology to make it appear as though the call is being made from a victim’s house. The idea behind this is to have their victims harassed by having police show up at their door, guns drawn.
Due to Weigman and other swatters the idea to ban caller ID is being discussed. Lawmakers in New York and Louisiana have recently taken steps to control the practice.
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