Have you received any phone calls from the IRS lately? Or from Social Security? How about one of the top online retailers? Or maybe a desperate call or text from one of your grandchildren, begging for money to get out of an issue with the police while on vacation in a foreign country? You might have, if you’re one of the 32 million people who have been scammed by phony phone calls from cybercrooks. And while phone calls are on top, fraudulent text messages are rapidly catching up, according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
Phone scams were never heard of only a few short years ago. But then cybercriminals found ways to disguise Caller ID numbers to look “official,’ and people started answering the calls. Add that to the Robocall technology that continuously dials phone numbers until they get a victim – which costs the average person over $460, and racks up $10 billion for the cybercrooks. It’s a shame that this goes on, and what’s even worse is that the people the cybercrooks target are usually the elderly or infirm. Most of that particular demographic doesn’t have exposure to news reports about the latest phone scams, despite a huge effort by the FTC and a variety of government agencies like the IRS and Social Security who spend millions of dollars to alert consumers of the latest fraud activities.
Don’t Become a Victim
Remember how on the IRS phone call the Caller ID screen looked real and official? It isn’t – it’s just a trick used by cybercriminals called “Caller ID spoofing”. They can make the Caller ID screen show any name and number that they want, because they have the technology to make it happen. And while the IRS ploy is the leading phone scam, cybercriminals can make the Caller ID screen look like any entity – from your bank to your favorite charity. That’s why it’s so easy to pull off a scam, particularly on people who aren’t aware of the phone and text scams that are happening.
In addition to spoofing Caller ID information, another cybercrook trick is Vishing, where the call appears to be coming from one of the organizations you know and trust. If the call appears to be coming from your bank, the caller will ask questions to “verify” that you are the real account holder, and within minutes you’ll be handing over all types of financial information that should never be disclosed.
Be aware that cyberthieves aren’t locked into phone scams that are only related to the IRS or Social Security. One of the bigger phone scams happening is the Amazon phone scam, where the caller states that there has been “suspicious activity” on your account and wants to verify your information. The only problem is that Amazon will never call a customer to ask for any information. Ever. If there is ever a problem, you’ll receive an email directing you to log into your account and click on “help” at the bottom of the page. If you inadvertently hand out any private account information, you’ll be directed to immediately change your password.
Charities are another huge phone scam ruse, where callers pretend to be from your local police or fire department, asking you to help raise funds for these first responders. Legitimate police and fire agencies don’t request donations by phone, so just be firm and hang up. Another big scam is utility companies, calling for immediate payment or your water, gas or electricity will be shut off. They even offer to have you pay using gift card numbers or wire transfers, and once the money is received you’ll never hear from them again.
Another phone scam making the rounds is the Microsoft or Apple scam, where the caller says that he or she saw a problem with your computer software that can be fixed over the phone, if you’ll just provide some account information. If you agree, you become a victim – plain and simple. As you can see, the list goes on and on – so be aware of the many types of phone and text scams in order to beat the cyberthieves.
Cellular phones have additional problems when it comes to text and phone scams. Cybercrooks can actually lock your phone and prevent you from making calls until you pay a ransom. These criminals can also program another phone to act like your phone, called cloning. Plus, the cybercrooks can also use special apps that capture your private information, including passwords and banking information. You have to be very careful to keep your phone in your possession at all times.
Prevention is Your Best Offense
How do cybercriminals get your phone number and information? One of the main ways is through people-search sites that store all types of unauthorized personal and financial information about you and your family. The best way to prevent access to cybercrooks is to delete all of that information found on search sites like Intelius, Whitepages or Spokeo. While it might take a lot of time to remove your data, it’s worth the effort to help stop the robocalls and scams.
Another way to put a stop to scam calls is to sign up with the National Do Not Call Registry. Another service is NoMoRobo, which offers free blocking of home phones and free or minimal charge for blocking cellular phones. Many experts advise that if you suspect that the caller is not from a legitimate place, ask to call them back, and do so by looking up the real phone number on their website.
It’s really important to report all phone scams and fraudulent texts, because the more you can prevent others from falling victim to phone and text scams, the better. The FTC has a report page, as does the FBI.
Stay alert, pay attention to the latest phone scams going around and if there is any doubt about the legitimacy of a caller, please hang up.