At present, Caller ID systems allow telephone users to screen their calls, identifying and blocking unwanted callers such as telemarketers.
The system is not always foolproof: according to Security Focus, certain digital telephone connections have allowed businesses to hide their identity in the past, while voice calls over the internet are vulnerable to hackers. But Star38.com, due to be launched tomorrow, appears to be the first attempt to commercialise the spoofing service.
Speaking to Security Focus, the firm's founder, Jason Jepson, said that subscribers would be screened and the service offered only to licensed debt collection agencies and private investigators.