Protect Yourself from Phone Scams

It’s no secret that the security in the mobile market has been subpar for a long time. Phishing attacks against users of Apple’s iOS 9 and Android’s Lollipop operating system are only the beginning. As the mobile cyberscene continues to develop, there are various new threats that are cropping up. One of the latest, and most serious, is the threat of a phone scam.

Phones are being hacked left and right. The latest rumor is that your phone is vulnerable, and a hacker could steal your private information. Don’t let that happen to you. Start by taking steps to protect your information.

Some time ago, I had to buy a new phone. Since there were no different options available, I decided to buy the latest model. After a couple of days, I realized it was a slightly customized model of the iPhone available in stores. I was forced to show it off in the store, but I did not want to let on how much it was customized.. Read more about how to avoid being scammed online and let us know what you think.Phone scams have unfortunately been around for decades and predate the internet world: Fraudulent calls to referral lists were made long before the Internet world was possible or popular. However, the popularity of the internet, especially social media, has led to scammers having more knowledge and resources to scam unsuspecting users through phone fraud. Unfortunately, seniors living alone are the main target of online phone scams because they can be vulnerable and lonely. They may also be more gullible, don’t use the internet as much and therefore are unaware of the types of phone scams that now occur on a regular basis.

Social Security scams and IRS (Internal Revenue Service) tax return scams are becoming more common, while scams involving promises of love are disappearing as people become more aware of them. These new types of scams are very sophisticated and convincing, as the caller poses as a Social Security or IRS representative and asks to verify information, which of course always includes your phone number. IRS fraud is most common because many people are afraid of the IRS, and it involves claiming back taxes and/or penalties that have been imposed on a person.

The IRS itself, as well as all other government agencies, can provide information about this latest phone scam and allow users to report such scams online or by phone. Go to IRS.gov to report this type of scam, or USA.gov, which has a list of all the agencies you can contact, even the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation). The FBI has a special department that deals with phone and online scams, and the knowledge it has amassed is very rich.

In this latter type of scam, the caller initially poses as a representative or agent of the Social Security Administration or the IRS. The recipient of the call is immediately panicked, which is exactly what the scammer is counting on to achieve his goal: extort money or social security numbers from the recipient of the call. The government never calls or asks for personal information, but sends letters when needed. The government also never sends emails or text messages, but most people don’t know that. Local authorities have begun providing information about these scams in offline publications such as newspapers, targeting people who are unfamiliar with technology, which obviously includes the elderly.

This type of government fraud is sophisticated and well designed, as the phone number displayed can mimic the phone number of a real government agency, both in the name displayed on the caller ID and in the actual phone number. This is done by redirecting the numbers and allows the scammer to make contact with the person they are calling. Some of these scammers begin by offering to help. They are kind and gentle in their actions. This quickly escalates into direct threats and harassment once someone begins to question the nature of the call or the identity of the caller. All government officials have state-issued identification numbers, and asking for these numbers can quickly frustrate a scammer, who will then resort to threatening and intimidating tactics, insisting on social security numbers, personal bank information, or other methods to settle an alleged debt to the state. The caller may call back several times a day, week or month, pretending to be a different government agency each time and being very vindictive when disturbed.

There are ways to protect yourself from the latest phone scams and information on where to report phone scams, as mentioned above, in most local, state, and federal government offices. Not only are all frauds known to the authorities, including the most recent one mentioned in this article, but all frauds are widely publicized. Even the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has a wealth of valuable information, as fraud is widespread today. The first way to protect yourself from phone scams is to visit all of the government websites listed above and learn more about the types of phone scams, especially modern ones. Knowledge is power!

There are other ways to protect yourself from all types of phone scams. Knowing where your information is online can help protect you from identity theft.

Another way to protect yourself is to never give out personal information by phone, text or email. No matter how official or threatening a phone call, message or email may be, or how sincere it may seem, you should never give out personal information online or over the phone. Real businesses and real government agencies send out paper forms, even insurance companies and utility companies. These companies and the government will only confirm your identity, even by phone, with a password or the last four digits of your social security number. Credit card companies also only ask for the last four digits of your credit card number.

Scammers use a method to force people to give personal information. Never be fooled, threatened or intimidated over the phone. If you do not know the caller, even if the phone number sounds local or familiar, hang up, do not speak to the caller, contact a local, state or federal agency about the call and report it immediately.The latest phone scam is a classic “get rich quick” plan that involves pretending to be someone who can help you get a new iPhone. The scammer will tell you they’ll send your phone with tracking or delivery services, but they’ll ask for your bank account details and your ID number to prove that you’re who you say you are. If you believe them, they’ll ask you to pay a significantly higher amount than the phone’s retail price to get the phone, but they’ll then resell the phone to the local shop at a much cheaper price.. Read more about how to report a phone scammer and let us know what you think.