In an effort to crack down on deceptive and nuisance telephone calls, the Pennsylvania Senate approved a bill banning the practice of caller ID “spoofing,” according to Senator Elder Vogel, R-47th, who supported the bill.

Senate Bill 236 is designed to protect citizens from misleading telemarketing “robocalls,” particularly those that disguise their real phone number by making it look like a local number, increasing the likelihood that the call will be answered.

The computerized telemarketing messages can be intrusive, and can also prey on trusting people, including vulnerable senior citizens because the calls come across the caller ID as being a local number and are intended to confuse and defraud the recipients.

The legislation also prevents telemarketing calls before 8 a.m. and after 8 p.m. The bill will be sent to the House of Representatives for consideration.