How to Stop Scam Calls and Protect Yourself from Phone Scams

Understanding Phone Scams

What are Phone Scams?

Phone scams are deceptive schemes that use phone calls to trick individuals into revealing sensitive information, making payments, or performing certain actions. These scams can come in various forms, including robocalls, live calls, and even text messages. The danger of phone scams lies in their ability to appear legitimate, making it challenging to detect them. Falling victim to such scams can lead to significant financial losses and compromised personal information.

Types of Phone Scams

There are several types of phone scams that you should be aware of to protect yourself:

• IRS Scams: Scammers pose as IRS agents, demanding payment for unpaid taxes or threatening arrest if you don’t comply. Remember, the IRS will never call you to demand immediate payment.
• Credit Card Scams: These scammers claim to be from your credit card company, asking for sensitive information like your credit card number or expiration date. Always verify the caller’s identity before sharing any information.
• Generic Sounding Organization Scams: Scammers may claim to be from a generic-sounding organization, such as “tech support,” and ask for payment or sensitive information. Be cautious and verify the legitimacy of the caller.
• High-Pressure Tactics: Some scammers use high-pressure tactics to convince you to share information or make a payment immediately. If you feel rushed or pressured, it’s a red flag.

By understanding these common types of phone scams, you can better protect yourself and avoid falling victim to these deceptive tactics.

Why am I Getting Spam Calls?

Who gets spam calls? Anyone with a phone number. Jokes aside, there are some reasons you may see an uptick in these nuisance calls.

Incoming calls are treated differently depending on the user’s contact list and the settings for unknown callers. It is important to handle incoming calls from unknown numbers appropriately while ensuring that important contacts still get through.

1. Your phone number was part of a data breach. Think about how often you put your number down for businesses or other organizations – if those organizations experience a data breach, your number might be compromised.
2. You answer spam calls. If you keep answering them, you’re likely to get more.
3. You have your phone number listed on social media sites. Avoid this if possible – even on professional sites like LinkedIn.
4. For some reason or another, your phone number was listed on the dark web, opening it up to cyber criminals and hackers of all kinds.

Top Tips for Blocking Unwanted Calls

Spam calls are such a big problem that not only are private companies like phone providers committed to preventing them, but the U.S. government pours hefty resources into the issue, too. For the Federal Communications Commission, unwanted calls are the top consumer complaint, and preventing them is the top agency priority.

Here are some tips from directly from the FCC:

Block Spam Calls (And Don’t Pick Up!)

If you’re getting unwanted robocalls from certain numbers, block them. Your phone can look at the caller’s number and prevent its calls from ever getting through to you. If you do get these calls, the worst thing you can do is answer calls. Answering spam calls can indicate to robocallers that your number is active, potentially resulting in an increase in spam calls. It feels hard in the moment, but ignoring calls from unknown numbers is the best approach. If someone needs to get in touch with you, they can leave a voicemail.

Talk to Your Phone Provider

Many mobile phone carriers like Verizon and T-Mobile will help you stop spam calls. Your plan may include certain protections against unwanted robocalls or make it easy for you to silence unknown callers. In some cases, there are additional protection options that can be added for a small monthly fee.

Join the National Do Not Call Registry

It’s important to understand that telemarketing isn’t illegal on its own. There are many telemarketers that are acting legally, and although they are annoying, they aren’t dangerous. If you don’t want to be bothered by telemarketing calls, add your phone number to the Do Not Call Registry. This won’t prevent scam calls, but it will reduce the number of live person or prerecorded telemarketing calls popping up.

Use a Call Blocking Application

There are many third-party apps that streamline the process of blocking unwanted spam calls and preventing dangerous phone scams. These applications are accessible and affordable, and they often have more robust protections than other options.

Using Caller ID and Spam Protection

Caller ID and Spam Protection Features

Caller ID and spam protection features are essential tools in the fight against unwanted calls and phone scams. Here are some common features that can help you identify and block spam calls:

• Caller ID: This feature displays the caller’s name and number on your phone’s screen, allowing you to identify who is calling. If the caller is unknown or suspicious, you can choose not to answer.
• Spam Protection: Many mobile phones come with built-in spam protection that uses algorithms to identify and block spam calls, including robocalls and telemarketing calls. This feature helps reduce the number of unwanted calls you receive.
• Block Unknown Callers: This feature allows you to block calls from unknown numbers, minimizing the risk of receiving unwanted calls. By enabling this feature, you can silence unknown callers and focus on important calls.
• Report Spam: If you receive a spam call, you can use the report spam feature to notify your phone carrier or a third-party app. Reporting spam helps improve the accuracy of spam detection algorithms, making it easier to block future calls.

By utilizing these caller ID and spam protection features, you can significantly reduce the risk of receiving unwanted calls and protect yourself from phone scams.

Suspect a Scam? Here’s What To Do:

We’ve all answered calls from unknown numbers – it happens. However, answering such a call can have potential risks, including the possibility of receiving more spam calls. If you do pick up and get a funny feeling about the person on the other end, remember:

·      Don’t give out any personal information. If you’re asked for social security numbers or anything of the sort, DO NOT ANSWER.

·      Hanging up is always an option; in fact, it’s probably the best option.

·      You can report scam calls to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

·      A typical scammer may pose as someone from a government agency or bank, and if that happens, hang up and call the number of the organization listed online. Almost always, this type of correspondence will come through the mail – NOT via phone call.

Outsmart the Scammers

Scam calls are constantly changing and evolving, making it hard to keep up with the current threat landscape. But in order to get ahead of spam calls, you have to stay educated on the different possibilities. If you’re ever in doubt, know that there is nothing wrong with hanging up the phone.

We can’t let the scammers win, and by using the above tactics, we can outsmart them. One day, we may live in a world where scam calls are a thing of the past, but until then, it’s up to us (and a bit of technology) to stop spam calls.