Fraudulent phone calls are becoming increasingly popular. Phone scammers may pretend to be a loved one or they may use false promises or aggressive sales pitches to get through to you. Their goal is to elicit personal information or to receive a payment from you.

What are some of the warning signs that the person on the other end is a scammer?

Unsolicited calls from people claiming to work for a government agency, utility company, major tech companies, and charities should raise your suspicion.

What can you do about these calls?

You can list your phone number on the Federal Trade Commission’s National Do Not Call Registry. This won’t stop spam calls, but may reduce them. Legitimate telemarketers will not call you if you are on the registry.

You may also want to consider using a call-blocking mobile app that will screen your calls and weed out spam. Another best practice is to hang up on robocalls. When a telemarketer calls, slow down and ask questions. A legitimate telemarketer will be happy to answer your questions while a scam caller will try to pressure you into a decision right away. For a full list of Do’s and Don’ts, read AARP’s article on phone scams.

Another common scam is for someone to call and impersonate a relative or friend.

They will claim that they sound different because they were in an accident or have a cold and they need money for some emergency¹. When you receive this call, it is easy to feel anxious or even panicked. The first thing you should do when you receive a call like this is to take a deep breath and resist the urge to act immediately. Ask the person on the other end a personal question that only your loved one would know the answer to. If they answer correctly, tell them you will call them back and hang up the phone. Do not accept any new phone number that they may offer you. If they do not answer correctly, hang up the phone. You should then directly call your loved one on a phone number you know to be genuine to verify that they are okay. You should check their story with another family member or friend, even if they swear you to secrecy.

With these personal calls, it is easy to feel emotional. However, it is important to slow down and ask questions. By doing this, you can verify the identity of the person on the other end, you give yourself time to think through their request, and you can better use reason to respond.

Source:

1. https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0204-family-emergency-scams

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