SCAMMERS are finding increasingly convincing ways to get their hands on your money – and falling for their schemes can cost you thousands.....CONTINUE READING THE ARTICLE FROM THE SOURCE
Gone are the days of relying on fraudulent emails to trick people into handing over their personal information. Malicious actors can reach you over the phone and trick you into picking up the call through a technique known as phone spoofing.
Phone spoofing occurs when a scammer alters the caller ID information displayed on a recipient’s phone to make it seem like the call is coming from a trustworthy number.
Scammers can assign incoming phone numbers using Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology, which connects calls online.
They can also pay a service provider for a PIN code that is used to place calls, similar to a prepaid calling card.
This method allows them to select the number they want to call as well as the number to appear on the recipient’s caller ID.
Scammers may pose as bank employees or customer service representatives and say your personal information is needed to resolve a problem.
A New York woman named AvalonGrimes lost her life savings after receiving a call from what she assumed to be her bank.
Grimes later said she had no reason to suspect anything was awry, as the number displayed on her cellphone matched that on the back of her card.
The caller informed her of a fraudulent charge to her account and duped Grimes into sending over $24,000.
So, how can you prevent this from happening to you?
Start by checking if your carrier can help filter spam. AT&T and Verizon
have mobile apps, while T-Mobile notifies you if a caller seems suspicious.
It is worth listing your number on the National Do Not Call Registry and reporting unwanted calls.
While there is no guaranteed way to prevent scammers from contacting you, the federally-maintained database offers protection against telemarketers.
As always, exercise caution. Never pick up a call from an unrecognized number – wait for them to leave a voicemail.
When you sign up for a new service, thoroughly read the privacy policy to ensure your contact information won’t be shared or sold.
Note if the person on the other line is imploring you to act urgently. Scammers will often apply pressure and use fear-based tactics to manipulate their victims.
It is crucial to stay up-to-date on techniques criminals use to deceive their victims.
Scams are growing increasingly convincing. With the help of AI tools, scammers can replicate the voice of a trusted friend orfamily member.
Another common scam is phishing via a text message that appears to be from a reputable person or organization. The sender may advertise a job or pose as a tech support employee.
You may be directed to click a link or scan a QR code, which may download a virus onto your device or steal your login credentials.
Be wary of downloading unknown attachments, which may infect your phone with malware.
