Spam calls are becoming increasingly prevalent with sophisticated tactics. Scammers have figured out countless ways to cheat people out of money and gain personal information over the phone. In some scams, they act friendly or helpful and often “clone” familiar phone numbers or entities, to encourage you to answer their calls. In other instances, they threaten to try to scare or intimidate you into sharing personal information over the phone.
Types of scams:
• Impersonator scams
• Debt Relief and Credit Repair scams
• Business and Investment scams
• Charity scams
• Extended Car Warranties
• “Free” Trials
• IRS delinquency scams
• Failure to pay various bills, including termination of utilities
How to Avoid Being Scammed:
• Never send money via gift card or wire transfer to someone you have never met face to face
• Avoid clicking on links or opening attachments from unsolicited messages
• Hang Up on unwelcome calls
• Consider call blocking
• Never share personally identifiable information
• Add your number to the National Do Not Call register
• Be careful what you share on social media
If you’ve lost money to a phone scam or have information about the company or scammer who called you, tell the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. If you didn’t lose money and just want to report a call, use the streamlined reporting form at DoNotCall.gov.