Identifying the Most Common Phone Scams
Scammers are everywhere. We deal with door-to-door, email, and internet scams. Now, scam artists use new tricks to cheat people over the phone. These common phone scams can even lead to robbery. Scammers might be checking to see who is home, if you have a security system, and other important details.
Despite technological advances, the most common phone scams are getting more and more popular as a way to steal someone’s identity. Scammers find this type of fraud easier and safer for them. Unfortunately, it’s harder to catch a phone scammer because there’s no paper trail, unlike on the internet. Plus, they can manipulate caller ID systems to show false information.
Can You Hear Me Now?
Recently, a new phone scam called “Can You Hear Me Now?” has emerged. With this trick, the scammer tries to record your voice. After they ask, “Can you hear me now?” and you say “yes,” the scammer then claims you’ve agreed to something.
As you talk, the scammer gains access to your personal information or anything else on your phone. They may also use many other questions to gather your information. Some other questions they might ask include:
- Are you the lady of the house?
- Are you a homeowner?
- Do you pay the household telephone bill?
Scams like this are becoming more popular and there are many ways that you can protect yourself from them.
Protecting Yourself From Theft Through Common Phone Scams
- Don’t Recognize Phone Number: If you ever see an unknown number calling, or if it says “restricted,” chances are it’s someone you don’t know. When this happens, simply let the call go to voicemail. Scammers never leave messages. If it’s a legitimate caller, they will leave one.
- Act Slowly: Don’t always rush to answer your phone. If you quickly pick up, thinking it’s someone you know, you could become the victim of a targeted scam. Always look carefully at all calls before answering. Let unknown numbers go straight to voicemail.
- Don’t Answer Any Questions Over The Phone: Answering questions over the phone often leads to information leaking to scammers. Even the smallest details can help a scam artist get your personal information.
- Never Give Out Information: No matter what, never give out your information when buying anything over the phone unless you initiated the call. If a company calls you about an item you’ve bought, you can ask questions to verify they are truly from that company.
- Don’t Pay: If you’re ever ordering anything over the phone, the company normally won’t call you to ask for payment. You, as the customer, always call them to pay for your purchases. Never give out your payment information or Social Security number to an unknown number.
Scammers often ask for wire money transfers. If you ever hear the words “wire transfer,” you can be sure it’s a scam.
Contact Your Rochester Security Company and Protect Yourself More!
Take action now to be safer when answering the phone. You never know what scam artist is going to be calling next. If you have any questions on how to stay safe contact SPS Fire & Security at 585-770-0348.
