Phone scams are calls designed to push you to make a deliberate action that compromises your safety. Usually, scammers impersonate a real company to gain the trust of the victim before convincing them to give away some money or personal details.
With technology improving every day, phone scammers are also constantly improving their skills. It is estimated that Americans have lost over $50 billion in phone scams in the last year alone. Hence, being vigilant and protecting yourself from these scammers is the only way to reduce that number and save yourself from losing your hard-earned money.
Install Call-Blocking Apps on Your Phone
Scammers are increasingly taking advantage of automated calls to deliver pre-recorded messages or use computerized voice systems to converse with the receiver. The robot calls blocking apps act as an added layer of protection when installed on your device. They analyze incoming calls in real time, using advanced technology. When a spam call is detected, it is blocked and blacklisted.
To increase the effectiveness when blocking calls, there is a customization option where you can add your special settings to block unknown numbers. However, you can use Nuwber to verify the identity behind the number before making a more permanent move.
Learn About Common Scams
Knowledge is your first line of defense against scams. When you can smell fraud from miles away, you can efficiently avoid falling for it. A great place to start is to educate yourself on the tactics these fraudsters use to dupe their victims. Tactics like creating a false sense of urgency, using threats to coerce you into action, or using overly exaggerated deals that are too good to be true.
Familiarizing yourself with most of these manipulative schemes prevents you from unknowingly giving out your personal details. It also helps you protect yourself whenever you notice any red flags by asking the right questions.
Be Careful with Caller ID Features
Caller ID apps are designed to provide the caller’s name and phone number and, in some cases, location on the receiver’s phone screen. Scammers take advantage of this technology to display a fake number and name to deceive their victims by prying on their blind trust.
To protect yourself from such spoofed information, look beyond the number and country code. Make independent verifications before giving away any information or money. If unsure about a particular caller, let it go to voicemail. Most legitimate callers are likely to leave a voice message.
Unsolicited calls from companies and government agencies are red flags to look out for in potential scams. They can come in different forms, such as an account needing immediate fixing, a lottery you never played, or urgent requests for sensitive data from manufacturing or tech companies. While scammers’ calls often come as a surprise, most legitimate communication from such organizations is warranted and can be seen coming.
Add Extra Layers of Security to Your Accounts
Do not be okay with just password security for your accounts. Incorporate a two-factor authentication system. In addition to securing your accounts and all the sensitive information, it also restricts unauthorized access, making it even harder for phone scammers to hack into your device.
The 2FA can be implemented in different forms, such as a code sent through text or email, special authentication apps, biometric verification, or physical security keys stored in a USB flash drive.
Smartphones are a gateway to most personal information. When a phisher is successful in tricking you into a scam, they gain access to all the sensitive data on the device. However, you can stay on top of your phone’s security by constantly updating it to patch any known bugs that might be potential entry points for scammers. It also ensures that you have the latest security features that could be used as a safety net. Update app permission to limit access by external parties.
Avoid Clicking on Suspicious Links
Phone scammers are known for sending malicious links through texts and emails. The links lead to spammy sites designed to corrupt the device and collect personal information. The websites are designed to manipulate you into volunteering sensitive data such as passwords or financial details. You do not have to get there; the scenario can be completely avoided by not clicking on any link before checking the URLs and verifying secure HTTPS connections.
Register on the National Do Not Call Registry
By registering on this registry, you are signing up to block robocalls, telemarketing and other spam calls. The services are free; you can register your home and mobile phone on the registry. Although it is not a foolproof method to keep phone scams at bay, it helps filter out the most common call scams. Any scam calls received can be then reported to the FTC.
Even after layering your phone with extra security and equipping yourself with knowledge of all the scamming techniques, it might still not be enough. To deter scammers completely, use the block features on-call apps or phone settings. Again, by reporting to FTC, you are helping protect other users from similar conmen as the call will be investigated and the perpetrator brought to justice.
Download and install phone apps from official stores such as Google Play and iOS stores only. This is especially important with third-party applications such as banking apps. Phone scammers have fake apps all over the web designed to collect passwords or such personal information.
The fake apps might grant scammers access to your other accounts. Be cautious with applications that seek to access files they don’t need to run. For example, a credit lender seeking access to your photos or camera. Instead, get official apps for each need.
The best way to protect yourself from phone scammers is to have a healthy dose of suspicion for every call or text from unknown numbers. Whenever you get suspicious about a call midchat, hang up and confirm the caller’s identity.
You can do this by contacting the company or business the caller claims to represent or using reverse lookup sites to verify the real caller’s identity. Remember that legitimate organizations will never ask for your pins, passwords, financial details, or abrupt payment through untraceable means.