5 Phone Scams of which You Need to be Aware…
As long as telephones have existed, so have telephone scams. Over in the UK, the statistics show that around nine out of ten people receive between 5 and 30 ‘nuisance’ phone calls a week, around 20% of them being genuine scam calls out to get their money.
The statistics in the US claim this is more like 50% of all calls. With so many calls being made every single day, and with the hosts of these calls getting smarter and smarter, it’s becoming increasingly vital that people are becoming wise to the tricks of the trade in order to protect their money.
Today, we’re going to explore five of the most common phone scams going on right now, detailing everything you need to know in order to avoid the problems of these scams yourself.
#1 – A Fake Support Team
Nearly everybody has a phone, Windows laptop or MacBook (Apple), and nearly all of these people will have access to the internet. The scam call here comes from a company claiming to be a tech support company, perhaps a reputable brand or even the Microsoft or Apple team.
They then say there’s a virus or malicious malware going around that they’re trying to stop from spreading and will ask you to help them check if it’s on your computer. This, of course, at some point involves handing over your password, which means they have access to your personal files.
#2 – Claiming to be From the Bank
Another extremely common problem is scam artists who claim they’re operating from your bank and there’s been a problem that needs solving. Throughout this call, you’ll be told to hand over your banking information in order to rectify the problem.
Of course, the bank you’re with will never ask you for your PIN number or personal information, and this is just a scam. Always go into the bank in person if you have any doubts or they claim to call you first.
#3 – IRS Banking Problem
A lot of people are receiving calls which claim to be from the IRS saying that there’s a problem with your tax that needs to be resolved. This will then result in you handing over your financial details or PIN number in order to get it checked out.
Of course, this is fake, and once you hand over your information, you’ve put yourself at risk of being stolen from. While it may seem silly people are falling for this, because it’s a government problem, people are more inclined to want to get it sorted.
#4 – Trying to Take Payments
There are a ton of payment scams out there where the scammer will try taking credit card payments over the phone, and this can come in many forms. They may tell you you’ve won a prize and need to hand over your details in order to claim the prize.
You may be offered a seemingly unmissable investment opportunity that’s only being offered to you now and never again, so you’ll need to hand over your payment details as quickly as possible.
#5 – Over the Phone Scams
The final most common scam we have is people calling your phone and leaving a message, telling you it’s something important and you’ll need to call back as quickly as possible.
However, the scam here is the line you call back ins a premium line, and you’ll be charged a fortune for dialing it.
Summary
As you can see, there are lots of different scams out there you need to be aware of. While these may seem simple, the truth is the scam artists are cleverer and more believable than ever before, so have your wits about you and be safe.
