In recent years phone scams have been on the increase, leaving many people feeling worried about losing their money. But while phone scams are a very real threat, it’s possible to outsmart these cunning criminals. One of the best ways to go about doing this is educating yourself about the ways that fraudsters try to get their hands on your hard-earned cash. Luckily, there’s a lot of information out there about the kinds of tactics being used so you can keep yourself safe.Â
This blog will go through some common phone scams that are being used to target people just like you today. But don’t let this frighten you, let it empower you to confidently walk away from dangerous situations.
Silent Call
If you’ve been getting an awful lot of missed calls lately, you might be wondering: is 01295981692 a scam caller? The answer to this question is yes and it could mean you’ve narrowly missed being hit by a silent call scam. Sometimes referred to as a Wangiri scam, the call will usually only ring once before the fraudsters hang up. Because this will flash up as a missed call, it means many victims will try to call back. Once they’ve done this, they’ll be charged a lot of money as the number will either be a premium one or from an international phone. This is why it’s best to ignore missed calls from numbers you don’t recognize.
Fake competitions
Everyone knows how great it feels to find out you’ve won a competition, which is exactly why scammers lie about winnings all the time. If you receive a call telling you you’ve won a car, money, or holiday, it’s likely a criminal trying to get hold of your personal information and money. Lots of people fall for these kinds of scams because they feel so happy to be in receipt of an amazing prize, even when they haven’t been entering competitions. If you do enter a competition, make sure it’s from a legitimate provider and you understand exactly how the winner will be contacted.
Tech support scams
Having problems with your computer can be frustrating, but what’s even more frustrating is scammers posing as tech support on the phone. If you ever get a call from someone claiming to be responding to a problem you’ve been having with your computer, be very wary. They should already know what the issue is and have your details if you have reached out to someone. Most of the time, the scammer is banking on you having some kind of an issue and will claim they know about it because of diagnostics. Never give a caller remote access to your computer or pay them any money.
Money transfers
Perhaps one of the worst scams to be on the receiving end of, fraudsters love pretending to be bank representatives. They’ll call their victims in a panic, saying that their bank account has been compromised and they must transfer their money to a safe account. Many people have lost their life’s savings in this way, so make sure you hang up the phone and keep your money safe.
