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We Are
Where You Are
For over 75 years, SKT has kept far-
away friends and family close with
clear, dependable phone service.
Today, we continue to help families
stay connected with an ever-ex-
panding array of communications
options, including Internet, Cable
TV, Wireless, Security, and Home
Automation services.
Though the technology changes,
one thing remains constant—our
longstanding commitment to main-
taining strong relationships with the
people of our community.
Cornerstone Group © 2016
O
ne of the best ways to avoid phone scams has traditionally been to not answer calls
from numbers that you do not recognize on your Caller ID. But crooks have a sneaky
way around this. With Caller ID spoofing, they are able to make it appear as if their calls are
coming from a local phone number. They literally hide behind the “mask” of a legitimate
phone number in order to increase the likelihood that you’ll pick up the phone.
How does it work? Caller ID spoofing providers (such as SpoofCard) allow individuals and
organizations to dictate what phone number they want to appear when they place calls.
They pay for a certain number of call minutes, then use an online interface to enter their
phone number, the number to be called, and the number they want to appear in the recipi-
ent’s Caller ID. The Caller ID proofing service then makes the call on the spoofer’s behalf.
The goal of this scam is to try and get you to reveal personal information such as account
numbers, passwords, and Social Security numbers. To avoid becoming a victim of Caller
ID spoofing, take the following precautions:
• Never give out personal information over the phone, such as account numbers, unless
you initiate the call.
• If you receive a call requesting information, ask for the name of the organization that is
calling. Then, call that organization, using the phone number on your bill or statement
—NOT the number on your Caller ID. If the call is legitimate, you will be transferred
to the appropriate department. If it’s not legitimate, you can inform the organization of
the spoofing incident.
To learn more about Caller ID spoofing, visit www.fcc.gov/guides/
caller-id-and-spoofing.
Crooks Use Caller ID
Spoofing to Wear “Mask”
of a Local Phone Number
T.J. Prater of rural Burden and
Elaine Webb of SKT hold a check
representing a recent $10,000
donation presented to the Burden
“Ballin’ For A Cause” fund held
at Legacy Regional Community
Foundation of Winfield. The dona-
tion was made possible by CoBank’s
“Sharing Success” program which
matches charitable donations of
CoBank customers up to $5,000.
That match was provided by SKT, a
CoBank customer. The funds will pay
for the new tile basketball/volleyball
surface in the Burden City Park.
Also pictured, from left to right, are
Yazmin Wood, David Lawson, Eddie
Weigle, and Lonnie Stieben.