Nowadays, most people use smartphones on a daily basis. Not only that but their devices are connected to various other platforms like social media, email, different apps and so on and so forth. Since privacy isn’t really a thing these days, most information people have on their mobile devices is collected and distributed to third-parties for advertisement purposes under the guise of personalization.
For those who know where to look, your information can easily be found, used and misused. That’s why it’s not uncommon for people to get spam and scam messages, phone calls and emails on their smartphones. More often than not, people also get stalked and abused by some weirdos who managed to get a hold of their personal information somehow.
This can be a serious problem and a direct attack on your privacy so the best thing to do is use a free phone number lookup to determine who or what is behind unusual or suspicious calls, messages and other means of communications.
If you don’t know who is trying to contact you and for what purpose, you can simply block the number and get on with your life. In case of scammers, that usually just holds them back for a little while because they tend to keep at it being relentless as they are. With that in mind, here are a few ways you can deal with phone scams.
The different types of phone scams and how to spot them
Phone scams are becoming increasingly common and it’s important to be aware of the different types so you can protect yourself. Chances are you’ll encounter many different scams from quite obvious ones where someone claims they are the IRS and you have to pay them in Walmart gift cards in order to avoid jail, to socially engineered ones that are very difficult to spot.
That said, one type of phone scam is a “phishing” call, where someone calls pretending to be from a legitimate company or organization and tries to get you to give them personal information such as your credit card number or Social Security number. Another type of phone scam is a “robocall”, which is an automated call that tries to sell you something or get you to sign up for a service.
In any event, it’s important to remember that legitimate companies will never ask for sensitive information over the phone, so if someone does, hang up immediately. You should also be wary of any caller who pressures you into making a decision quickly or offers too-good-to-be-true deals.
If in doubt, don’t give out any personal information and contact the company directly using their official website or customer service line. As mentioned before, some scam are way to obvious and plain silly while others tend to be quite sophisticated so you best be on your guard at all times.
Understanding the tactics used by phone scammers
Phone scammers often use a variety of tactics to try and get people to give away their personal information or money. Some are quite frankly dumb, where scammers hope they’ve got a naive enough victim to fall for it, while others are socially engineered to be very difficult to identify as a scam.
Socially engineered scams leverage tactics to learn as much as they can about the victim so that they can convince someone to fall for the trap. Also, a common tactic which is called “spoofing”, involves the scammer disguising their phone number so that it appears as if they are calling from a legitimate business or organization.
This can be done by using an app or software program that allows them to change the caller ID on their phone. Another tactic used by scammers is “phishing”, where they send out emails or text messages with links that lead to malicious websites designed to steal personal information. Therefore, scammers will use different tactic based on how savvy their victims are in order to increase their chances of success.
How to protect yourself from telephone fraudsters
Telephone fraudsters are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their tactics, so it’s important to stay vigilant and protect yourself from them. The first step is to be aware of the different types of telephone fraud that exist. If anyone asks for any type of personal or sensitive information, chances are they’re trying to scam you. If you receive a suspicious call, hang up immediately and do not provide any personal information.
Unfortunately, simply hanging up doesn’t always solves the problem. That said, the best way to protect yourself is to be proactive. In other words, don’t use shady apps and don’t reveal any personal information anywhere unless you know your disclosing it to a legitimate source for a legitimate reason. If all else fails, keep on blocking unknown numbers for as long as you have to.
It’s vital to always be aware and cautious of phone calls from unknown numbers. Therefore, never give out personal information such as credit card numbers or bank account details. If everything you’ve tried doesn’t help you get rid of persistent scammers, don’t hesitate to have authorities involved.
