It has come to Mack’s attention residents in the Arlington, Vt., community have been receiving phone calls from purported solar companies, and potentially other services, that appear on caller ID to be coming from a phone number associated with Mack.

Mack is committed to being a good steward of the community, including its protection from fraud, and has alerted its phone carrier’s technical and fraud teams of the calls. It is important to note these calls are not originating from the Mack phone exchange or the Company’s network. Unfortunately, in the age of Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) it is easy for callers to deliberately falsify the information transmitted to caller ID to disguise their identity. Known as “spoofing,” this technique is often used to trick someone into giving away personal information that can be used for fraudulent activity.

Spoofing for fraudulent gain is prohibited in the U.S., which is why Mack is working with its carrier to reduce the risk of being spoofed. This activity is hard to combat, however, and the best way to defend against it is to be informed and vigilant. Never offer personal information to an unexpected caller, and if you receive a call from someone claiming to be from a familiar company or government agency hang up and call a verified number for that entity. For more information on how to protect yourself, visit www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/spoofing-and-caller-id.