Fresno, California – We’ve reported on phone scams before, but every once in a while a new scam pops up that’s even more aggravating. Datatech has recently become aware of a new phone phishing scam that pops up your own mobile number on your caller ID. It’s as if you’re calling yourself. You’ve probably already been getting robo-scam calls from your own area code that say, “Hi this is (female) from the promotion center!” That’s another scam for another article. Sigh…
In a note to Better Business Bureau member businesses, Kayleena Speakman says that this new phone scam is popping up all across America, “The robo-caller on the other end is either silent, hoping that you’ll speak first, or the voice will ask for sensitive personal information. If you don’t give the number, the robo-caller threatens to close your AT&T account or that your account has already been hacked and the numbers are needed to verify your account.”
There are several variations of this scam, such as the robo-caller asking for your personal information to set up your voicemail account. All scammers want is an ‘in’ to your personal data to steal you blind. Perhaps to make fraudulent calls that bill to your account or to steal your credit card or social security numbers. A recent victim of this phone scam said the robo-caller mentioned a recent data breach saying that the victim’s account may have been compromised. The key here is, says the BBB, you couldn’t be possibly calling yourself, so don’t answer the phone.
So how do scammers do it? Consumer advocates say that these scammers may not even be domestic, but off shore scammers that use a computer program to spoof your area code or whole phone number. A recent scam attempted to get victims to say ‘yes’, your voice is recorded and used to make fraudulent charges on the victim’s account.
The Better Business Bureau has these really good suggestions for you to stay safe and not fall victim to these phone scams:
Don’t trust caller id: Victims fall for phone scams because they assume the number on their caller id is the correct person. Scammers can easily spoof numbers to make it look like a certain person is calling you, when in reality they are not.
Don’t give out personal information: Any legitimate person or business who reaches out to you will already have your information on hand. If they don’t, or if you receive a call out of the blue asking for your personal information just hang up. Scammers usually pose as a trusted source to get any information they can out of you. If you hang up immediately on them, they will not be able to phish for that information.
Don’t press buttons: Many robo-callers will prompt you to “press 9” to be taken off their call list. This will only do the opposite and flood your phone with even more calls. Pressing a number on the keypad alerts them that they have reached an active number.
Beware of big name companies calling: Scammers impersonate big name companies, charities and legitimate businesses hoping that you will be more inclined to give up your personal information to them. If you receive such call hang up immediately, find the appropriate number on your own, and call the business to verify.
Sign up for the Do Not Call Registry: To cut down on the amount of calls you receive, you can register your phone number for free through the FTC’s Do Not Call Registry. The Do Not Call Registry prohibits sales calls, so you may still receive political calls, charitable calls, debt collection calls, informational calls, telephone survey calls, and calls from companies you’ve recently done bu
siness with.
Don’t answer: If you receive a phone call from a number you’re unsure of, it’s best to just let it go to voicemail. Any legitimate person or business will leave a message, but even if the scammer decides to leave you a voicemail, you will have time to think about what is being asked by them, instead of being pressured on the spot to give up your personal information.
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