Be careful.  That call may not be from the actual caller shown on your Caller ID.

This week, a company is launching technology that will make it possible for someone to choose what appears on phones that have Caller ID, the feature for displaying identifying information about an incoming call.

It could be a different phone number, or even a few words, said Jason Jepson, founder of Star38, which has developed the commercial Caller ID spoofing service.

From what I’ve read elsewhere, this is just a simple trick with a digital switch.  But that means that it isn’t always effective (if you’ve had Caller ID for very long, you’ve probably noticed that it’s not terribly reliable). 

Anyhow, the founder of Star38 claims that the service will be limited “to licensed private investigators and collection agencies.”  That last part sounds like it might just violate some kind of federal law regarding the actions collection agencies are allowed to take.  I know it would violate the laws concerning telemarketing.

I suppose this is just one more reason to never trust someone who calls you seeking information.  If it appears to be some kind of official agency (police, FBI, etc), it would be best to get the person’s name and office information and call back (using the agency’s publically available main number).  Of course, I should point out that it’s probably best never to talk to them without a lawyer anyhow.