Do you know how to report phone scams? Even more importantly, do you know how to avoid them?
Experts on scammers agree: If you don’t recognize the caller ID, don’t answer the phone. If you do answer and something sounds suspicious, hang up immediately. Phone scammers use social engineering tactics—forms of psychological manipulation—to steal your information and your money. Your best defense is not to engage with scammers in any way.
What are scam numbers?
People who want to cheat you use scam numbers—also termed caller ID spoofing. A spoofed call displays the number and name of a legitimate government agency, company, or charity in order to trick you! Neighbor spoofing is when the caller ID has the same area code you do, so it appears that the caller is part of your community. These calls could be coming from anywhere in the world! Scammers can even spoof your own phone number to get into your voicemail, so be sure to protect it with a password.
Do you know how to stop scam calls?
If you are in doubt about a caller’s number or name, let the call go to voicemail. It’s worth waiting a couple of minutes to find out who it is and what they want. You can set up your smartphone to automatically send all calls that are not on your contact list to voicemail. Remember, voicemail messages can also be scams, so stay alert.
Contact your phone company to see what spam call blocking and labeling options they have. Also, look for smartphone apps that will do the same thing. Check out a variety of resources for blocking and labeling spam calls on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) website:
To block telemarketing calls, add your number to the FTC’s Do Not Call Registry. Legitimate telemarketers do not call numbers on the list.
What calls should you hang up on?
End a call any time you suspect that it could be a scam—whether it’s a robo-caller or a real person. Be alert to the following scam tactics! A scammer may:
- insist that you act immediately.
- tell you a story designed to upset you: your loved one is in danger or in jail; you have a computer virus; you’re about to be arrested or deported.
- inform you that you’ve won a prize.
- say that you need to move your money to keep it safe.
- ask you for an important piece of information, such as a birthday, maiden name, Social Security number, or password.
- command you to keep a secret, and tell you not to trust your family and friends.
- try to keep you from hanging up the phone.
- request your help to stop a scam, to call someone for them, etc.
- demand an unusual form of payment—gift card, prepaid debit card, cryptocurrency, money wire, cash only, etc.
- want you to give money to someone you don’t know.
- promise to make money for you.
- say that you owe a payment to the government or an organization. Keep in mind that government agencies and legitimate companies send a statement or invoice in the mail before you get a call asking for payment.
- ask a yes/no question, such as “Can you hear me?” Your voice may be recorded and used to give consent for a payment.
- tell you to push a button on your phone to win something, to stop getting calls, etc. The scammers are checking for active phone numbers that they can target for future scams.
What if you think the caller might be legitimate?
You should still hang up, find the organization’s number for yourself, and call that number. Don’t trust the number the caller gives you. For credit card companies, check the back of your credit card or your account statement. For government agencies, look in the phone book or on the organization’s official website. (Beware: there are also fake websites.)
Nobody from a reputable company, government agency, or charity will be offended if you take precautions. Legitimate organizations do not want to be associated with scamming tactics.
How should you report phone scams?
Make a report to the FTC of all phone scams and suspicious calls. It’s very easy to do, and it can help protect others! Even if you didn’t give the caller any information or money, and even if you’re not sure the call was a scam, the FTC encourages you to make an online report.
Do you know what to do if you said yes to a phone scam?
You will need to act right away to protect yourself.
- Contact your financial institutions and your credit card companies.
- Contact the three major credit reporting agencies— Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion—and ask for a credit freeze to protect your identity and prevent scammers from opening accounts in your name.
- Change passwords for your online accounts, such as bank and credit card accounts.
- File a report with the FTC (see above) and your local police department.
- Examine credit card statements and phone bills to spot unknown charges. Sometimes scammers hold onto your information for a long time before using it, so make a habit of checking statements and bills.
- Tell someone you trust to get their help and support.
Don’t let down your guard.
Phone scammers may sound really nice, really commanding, or really scary. But everything they say is designed to catch you off-guard in order to get information and/or money from you. Be vigilant!
Visit the Coast Central Credit Union News & Articles page to find more articles about scams.
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