As we enter a new digital era, the phone has become a key weapon for scammers to con people for money. Millions of fraud cases are filed each year against these digital scammers who prey on people’s savings. As soon as people pick up a scammer’s call, they begin to start their enthusiastic sales pitch to sell you a product or service.
They often make false promises, exaggerate about the product, and pretend to be someone else to get your credit card initials. They have plenty of spoofing tools to trick you into trusting them. Let’s take a look at some of the common scams that you need to be aware of at all times.
Top Five Phone Call Scams and How to Avoid Them
Covid-19 Vaccine Scam
Ever since the vaccines have started to roll out in public, scammers have found a new way to rip off people. People are looking to get vaccinated, but due to lack of access to information, they are unable to access them. This is where scammers come in and, with the help of a phone call, try to sell vaccines.
The scammers pretend to be someone from a reputable government institute or agency and offer vaccines in exchange for money. But you should know that no health organization or government will take money for vaccination since they are free for all.
Moreover, if anyone tries to ask you about your social security number, bank account details, and other information, they are scammers. The best thing you can do is hang up and block their number.
The IRS Scam
Another scam that has been on the rise for the past decade is the IRS scam. This scam has caused millions of people to lose their savings to scammers. These scammers pretend to be IRS officers threatening to arrest you if you do not pay the “taxes.” Don’t fall for this scam since IRS only contacts you through email and does not ask you to pay the dues to a random bank account.
Even if scammers don’t ask for money, they are likely to ask you for your sensitive details. For instance, bank account details, social security numbers, and credit card credentials. You can also verify their number online to determine their identity.
Bank Official Impersonation
At times, your bank might get in touch with you through the phone, which might make it hard for you to determine whether it is a scammer or a real bank official. But you can easily spot the difference once they start talking.
Bank officials may only ask you about a certain transaction and other questions to which you can reply either “yes” or “no.” But on the other hand, the scammers will insist on asking you for personal information such as bank account details, your PIN, or your passwords.
A bank will never call you and ask you about anything private. Therefore, you should hang up on any scammer persistently asking for private information.
Tech Support
Scammers impersonating tech support is one of the common scams in the U.S. They claim to be the employees of reputable companies such as Apple, Microsoft, and other tech companies. These individuals will ask you if you are facing any problems with your device and if you say yes, they will demand virtual access.
This is when the scam starts. They often install malware or try to steal your sensitive data once you provide them virtual access to the device. The malware can install harmful software and might steal your personal data.
Prize Money Scam
Many scammers try to lure callers with promises of big cash prizes. They might come up with a congratulations message along with a ridiculous amount of money. You may not even remember entering these competitions!
These lotteries are often scams since they ask you to pay money upfront before you can get the amount. After these scammers get your money, you won’t hear from them ever again. Therefore, it is advisable not to fall for these traps.
Final Thoughts
It is advisable to not trust anyone calling you from an unknown number. Always confirm the authority by searching for the number online or reaching out to the government agency to confirm their authenticity.