SCAMMERS are finding increasingly convincing ways to get their hands on your money – and falling for their schemes can cost you thousands.
Gone are the days of relying on fraudulent emails to trick people into handing over their personal information. Malicious actors can reach you over the phone and trick you into picking up the call through a technique known as phone spoofing.
Phone spoofing occurs when a scammer alters the caller ID information displayed on a recipient’s phone to make it seem like the call is coming from a trustworthy number.
Scammers can assign incoming phone numbers using Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology, which connects calls online.
They can also pay a service provider for a PIN code that is used to place calls, similar to a prepaid calling card.
This method allows them to select the number they want to call as well as the number to appear on the recipient’s caller ID.
Scammers may pose as bank employees or customer service representatives and say your personal information is needed to resolve a problem.
A New York woman named Avalon Grimes lost her life savings after receiving a call from what she assumed to be her bank.
Grimes later said she had no reason to suspect anything was awry, as the number displayed on her cellphone matched that on the back of her card.
The caller informed her of a fraudulent charge to her account and duped Grimes into sending over $24,000.
So, how can you prevent this from happening to you?
Start by checking if your carrier can help filter spam. AT&T and Verizon have mobile apps, while T-Mobile notifies you if a caller seems suspicious.
It is worth listing your number on the National Do Not Call Registry and reporting unwanted calls.
While there is no guaranteed way to prevent scammers from contacting you, the federally-maintained database offers protection against telemarketers.
As always, exercise caution. Never pick up a call from an unrecognized number – wait for them to leave a voicemail.
When you sign up for a new service, thoroughly read the privacy policy to ensure your contact information won’t be shared or sold.
Note if the person on the other line is imploring you to act urgently. Scammers will often apply pressure and use fear-based tactics to manipulate their victims.
It is crucial to stay up-to-date on techniques criminals use to deceive their victims.
Scams are growing increasingly convincing. With the help of AI tools, scammers can replicate the voice of a trusted friend or family member.
Here Mackenzie Tatananni, science and technology reporter at The U.S. Sun, breaks down ways a scammer may get your information.
Scammers commonly get phone numbers from data breaches, which occur when a hacker accesses a private database – often those maintained by companies like service providers and employers.
This information may be shared and circulated online, including on the dark web, where there are forums dedicated to sharing leaked information.
Another common technique called wardialing employs an automated system that targets specific area codes.
A recorded message will instruct the listener to enter sensitive information, like a card number and PIN.
There is also a far more harrowing possibility: your phone number could be listed online without your knowledge.
Data brokers are hungry to buy and sell your information. These companies gather information from various public sources online, including social media and public records
Their primary goal is to build databases of people and use this information for tailored advertising and marketing.
Much of this information ends up on public record sites, which display information like your phone number, email, home address, and date of birth for anyone to see.
In the United States, these sites are legally required to remove your information if you request it.
Locate your profile and follow the opt-out instructions, but be warned – these sites do not make it easy and intend to frustrate you out of completing the deregistration process.
For simplicity’s sake, you can also use a tool to purge your information from the Internet.
Norton offers one such service. Called the Privacy Monitor Assistant, the tool finds info online and requests removal on your behalf.
It is also possible that your phone number may be linked to a social media account and publicly displayed on your profile – this happens quite frequently with Facebook.
Be sure to review your privacy settings and confirm this information is hidden away from prying eyes.
Another common scam is phishing via a text message that appears to be from a reputable person or organization. The sender may advertise a job or pose as a tech support employee.
You may be directed to click a link or scan a QR code, which may download a virus onto your device or steal your login credentials.
Be wary of downloading unknown attachments, which may infect your phone with malware.
