Smartphones have revolutionized our lives. We do everything on them from socializing to shopping and even completing financial transactions. This means phone security should be a priority for us even for those who are not using it financially. That’s why we are going to telling about Guide to Identifying Phone Scams and Staying Away from Trouble, their Privacy is pretty much important.
How many times have you received a fraudulent call or a text asking for sensitive information? Plenty, right? In case you aren’t aware of the intensity of phone scams, then watch the movie Identity Thief. See how easily one piece of PI can drain your whole life’s savings overnight. This has actually happened to so many people in real life and it’s devastating. But still, with the information of getting scammed, many people still got hanged in the scam and destroys themself in minutes.
Read this guide to make sure that how you and your loved ones can be protected from phone scams.
Identifying Phone Scams
The first step to prevent or keep away from phone scams is to be vigilant against scammers. These are 3 major ways of identifying a scam based on the advice of cybersecurity experts:
A sense of urgency
When it’s a fraud call, there’s always a sense of urgency. They will ask you to do it right now. They will use phrases like “you can’t hang up” or “you can’t call us back.” These are signs that a scammer has contacted you. It doesn’t mean that if that person is not in urgency isn’t a scammer. With the increase in scams, scammers are also trying unique and different ways to scam people. So, you just have to make sure that this call is not from an authorized person and is asking for the information that doesn’t even authorize the person to ask from you.
There’s a consequence
The scammer will always tell there is a consequence. If you don’t act immediately, you might never see your loved ones, go to jail or your social security number will be canceled.
Don’t believe any of that. Things don’t work like it. Bank, IRS or Social Security Administration always contact customers via regular mail or email. They never call you and force you to act right away. They never threaten either.
There is a demand
The third obvious condition is some form of payment. If you hear words such as wire transfer, western union, or a gift card, you must hang up right away without listening to them.
Federal agencies or organizations don’t accept these types of payments. They will never ask you to buy them a gift card or will never ask to use other payment methods.
Let’s assume a scammer has called you and you have identified that it’s a scam call. Never engage with them. Simply hang up. Don’t even try to mess with them or ask about them. These people are professional scam artists. When you engage, it gives the impression that you are a talker. The scammer might come back again more skilled with a better offer. The key to staying away from scams like these is to HANG UP! The authorized departments had their own registered numbers, not random numbers. This is a big sign of scamming.
How To Stay Safe From Phone Scams
After identification comes to the cure. Scammers are smart people. They try taking advantage of a big news event or uncertainty to capture the attention of the recipient. These are some tips that can keep you safe from the scam:
Be hyperaware
Be extra cautious of unsolicited emails, text messages, calls, and even IM messages. If you question the identity of the person, don’t interact with them at all. Through electrical ways, they can easily get the data that must not be shared, and even though they can collect different aspects for the complete data.
Sometimes, a suspicious message may be received from a friend. Never respond via texts. Call them right away to see if their phone is hacked. Never click on suspicious links or download anything from unsolicited URLs unless you are certain it’s an authentic message. If the person doesn’t even know about the message. Ask him to take safety measures and secure his data too.
NEVER share PI
Never give your personal or financial info via text or over the phone. If you are pressured, hang up the call and go to the source directly. Share all details about the call. I received a fake call from someone selling Spectrum offers and they asked my SSN to check my eligibility. I hung up the call and dialed Spectrum’s toll-free number to explain the incident. The agent said they never ask PI on call. The company took notice of it and warned their customers to remain vigilant.
Download apps carefully
Always check the reviews of an app before downloading/purchasing it. Don’t download it from a third-party website. Google Play and Apple App store are the most reputable sources. The apps that aren’t in the play store and available on Google with APK files, there is a huge risk with the privacy of those apps.
Get a spam blocker
Phone carriers these days offer spam blockers to their subscribers. This service lets you identify and filter out spam calls. It’s a great feature to reduce the number of phishing calls/SMS. It’s a technical thing that isn’t in the mind of many people. This way is pretty much secure but scammers do have alternate ways to bypass these spam blockers
Practice safe web surfing and online shopping
Phone scams are not limited to call and text, you may also encounter them when using the Internet to browse or shop online or filling a form.
To stay safe, don’t click unsolicited links or download anything. Turn on McAfee mobile security for safe web browsing. It will protect your device from malware and viruses as well. Only shop from trusted websites. A new eCommerce website does not have enough security potential to secure your important data.
Share these tips with your loved ones to save them from financial or emotional losses.
