Caller ID Validation

A big problem with the current caller ID system is that it is vulnerable to spoofing. The caller ID data is carried on an Analog signal that is delivered between the first and second ring. This can be illegally spoofed by VOIP systems which are not well regulated. But phone calls also carry ANI (Automatic number identification) data which is not available to consumers. This also carries data about the origination of the phone call. While there are valid reasons for not providing the ANI data to consumers, this data could be used to validate the caller ID data. Phone company switches could be upgraded to monitor the Caller ID data as the phone rings and compare it to the number in the ANI data. If there is a match, the phone company switch sends a verification code to the customer’s caller ID that informs the customer that the Caller ID is valid. If there is a mismatch then the caller ID would indicate that the number may be bogus. This could be coupled with other solutions that use called ID data to block or challenge incoming calls, if the caller ID data is not trustworthy.