How to Identify Common Phone Scams
Unfortunately, with the rise of technology, scammers have developed new and more insidious ways to con you out of your money. Phone scams and text scams are particularly common, and most people are now wary of answering their phones when they get a call from an unknown number. By being able to identify these scams, you’ll find it much easier to not fall victim to their schemes. With this in mind, here are the main ways to identify common phone scams.
Check unknown numbers online
One of the most useful tools for helping you avoid phone scams is an online database like unknownphone.com. On this website, you can type in an unknown phone number and find comments from other users about their experiences with this caller, which will help you discover if they had nefarious intentions. For example, if you received a call from 08007613362, you could type this into the database and discover it’s a legitimate number from Sky. However, judging by the negative comments, it’s clear that the number could have been spoofed by scammers, so you should still be cautious.
Links in suspicious texts
In addition to scam calls and spoofed calls, another common phone scam is suspicious texts containing links. These texts will often urge you to click on the link by claiming one of your accounts has been hacked or a parcel hasn’t been delivered properly. However, the link will actually download malware onto your device or take you to a fake website where your personal information can be harvested.
To avoid these scams, make sure you only click on a link if you’re sure it’s from a legitimate sender. Scam texts will often contain grammatical errors, strange symbols, odd-looking company logos and incorrect email addresses.
Urgency and threats
A common sign of a phone or text scam is the use of threats or false emergencies to push you into a state of panic. Often, scammers will convince you that your accounts have been hacked to make you feel alarmed, as they hope that this state of panic will lead to you making rash decisions.
Another sign is that they will create a sense of urgency in this situation by insisting you have to act immediately, which stops you from being able to think things through properly. Reputable organisations will always answer your questions and prove their legitimacy, so remember that threats and urgency are telltale signs of a scam.
Fake prizes
On the other hand, scammers can also try to make grand promises instead of threatening you. If you’re offered an unbelievable prize from someone on the phone, you should be wary of potential scams – if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Again, the scammer will often try to create a sense of urgency by saying you have to claim your prize immediately, and this will usually involve giving the scammer your details. However, you should never give someone sensitive information over the phone.
Many people think they would never fall for a scam, but in the right circumstances, a skilled scammer could fool almost anyone. By knowing how to identify common phone scams, you’ll find it easier to protect yourself and your finances.
*This is a collaborative post.
