Your phone rings and you don’t recognize the number. Sound familiar? At my house, nine out of ten calls are unknown, or out of area calls. When I have a few “missed call” numbers, I put them in the computer browser to see they are legitimate or a scam. Most of the calls are scams. Phone scams are common, and they often prey on people’s generosity or fear. Nearly 1 in 6 Americans have lost money to a phone scam in the last 12 months, according to the 2019 U.S. Spam and Scam Report.
They are good at it. Scam artists have perfected their pitch, and they use spoofed numbers to make calls look legitimate on caller ID. However, you’ll know it’s a scam if the person on the other end of the phone demands payments via gift cards or wire transfers. Requesting sensitive information such as Social Security numbers, birth dates and passwords should also be red flags. Seniors may be more trusting on the phone. Everyone should have a conversation with an older loved one.
Your best defense against these types of calls is just to ignore them. While some people like to waste a scammer’s time by stringing along the conversation, it may not be wise. Some scams use voice-recording software, and the more you talk, the more likely you’ll say something that the crooks can use to make unauthorized transactions in your name. It’s best to hang up immediately.
Here are the top three scam phone calls:
- THE IRS AGENT CALLING you on the phone. This call isn’t really from the government. The IRS doesn’t initiate contact with taxpayers by email, text messages or social media channels to request personal or financial information. Note: they may call as a follow-up to a letter they have already sent, especially if you gave them a phone number and best time to call as part of responding to their letter. Please report IRS or Treasury-related fraudulent calls to phishing@irs.gov (Subject: IRS Phone Scam).
- Technical Support Calls. The caller says they are from a well-known company like Microsoft and have detected an error on a person’s computer. They will then talk the victim through a series of steps to “fix” the problem. A person is unwittingly downloading software that will hijack their system or give the caller remote access. Scammers use it to gather sensitive data or install ransomware, which will then require a payment to unlock a computer’s files.
Older adults may ripe for this scam because they often lack technical sophistication. Younger people might recognize something fishy about Microsoft calling them, but seniors could be more trusting. These calls are always fake. Microsoft and other tech companies do not make unsolicited technical support calls. - Fake Charity Appeals. Charity scams are especially likely after a natural disaster or other tragedy. The crooks count on the good will of people who want to help. To avoid giving money to a criminal, don’t make any donations to unsolicited callers. Instead, do your own research to select a reputable charitable organization.
If you find yourself the victim of a phone scam, it can be difficult to recover money. However, you should file a police report and contact your bank. If your Social Security number has been compromised, contact the three credit-reporting bureaus of Experian, Equifax and TransUnion to request fraud protections be placed on your credit reports.
