Types of telephone fraud you need to know about and ways to protect against them

Probably, almost every resident of the United States has received a phone call from scammers, and maybe not one. And by now, most likely, many are already versed in these calls. For example, when someone pretends to be a credit card company to receive personal information, or an automatic voice tries to force them to say “yes” so that this word can be used as a voice signature for fraudulent activity.

Фото: Depositphotos

Unfortunately, scammers are becoming more inventive and are creating new, wider networks. This is why the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently created a Glossary of Scammers to alert people to numerous scams and explain how to avoid them. Edition Reader`s Digest compiled a list of phone calls from scammers of a new type, which may not be recognized the first time.

In 809

If you receive a call from a number with the area code 809, it may come from the United States, but this is not always the case. In fact, these calls come from another country, to be more precise, from the Dominican Republic. The caller will leave you an urgent voice message, and when you call back, he or she will try to keep you on the line as long as possible so that you get a huge bill for international calls.

Another problematic three-digit area code is 232. The call is made from Sierra Leone (West Africa). The best thing to do is simply not answer the phone when you receive a call from a strange number, especially one with a strange area code.

Community scam

This fraud is often aimed at native speakers of Spanish, and fraudsters pose as employees of utilities who require immediate payment, otherwise they will turn off your service. Payment is most often requested using a card and a prepayment requirement, so it cannot be challenged. If you receive this type of call, you should directly contact your utility company to find out the details of your account, and not make a payment by phone.

Auto Warranty Scam

Most people do not know when their car warranty or insurance expires, which makes this scam so universal. Here, the caller will impersonate your insurance company or pretend that he is selling a car service. But the problem is that in some cases, the fraudster could actually get information about your existing insurance to make the request more believable.

On the subject: $ 10 million scam: Amazon couriers steal goods from customers and sell them again on the retailer’s website

The purpose of this scam is to obtain your credit card information. In general, it is always better to call warranty services and the like rather than making payments to an unknown phone number.

Fake Neighbors

If you receive a call from a number that looks almost identical to yours, then you are most likely scammed. Fake neighbors are when someone calls from a number that has the same starting digits as yours. The idea arises that it is someone from your street or area, although in fact it is a scammer. If you respond, they will try to get personal information or money from you.

Scam

Is there a warrant for you because you missed a jury trial? This is what the fraudster claims to be, pretending to be a law enforcement official. The scenario will look something like this: they will tell you that you missed the meeting and did not fulfill the duties of the jury, so you will be fined, which must be paid by transferring money or using a gift card. Rest assured, the real police will never ask you to pay a fine using a gift card.

Smishing

Smishing is short for SMS phishing, and in this case you will receive a text message rather than an actual phone call. In the text, the person will claim to be from your bank and provide a link for you to follow. When you do this, the scammer will try to scam you out of money or personal information.

Health Insurance Scam

You will receive calls from a robot or from an actual person who will be called an employee of a health insurance company. They will tell you that they can make insurance at a discount, and even get a "medical discount card", which, in fact, is not accepted anywhere.

Although such calls are quite rare, during the period of free reception (when you can change your insurance status, connect a relative to insurance, etc.), they may call you all year round.

Fraud tech support

Technical support scammers are some of the oldest scams on this list. Instead of removing the suspected virus, a person on the phone will guide you through a process that actually puts the virus on your computer. How common is this scam? According to Microsoft, about 3,3 million people commit such a fraud every year, which leads to an annual cost of $ 1,5 billion and an average loss of more than $ 450 per person.

On the subject: As a Russian ex-banker admitted to scams for the sake of US citizenship

Restoration of the lost

This may seem like a no-brainer, but if you've already been a victim of a scam, don't be fooled by someone calling to try to help you get your money back from a scam. In this type of scam, a person who has already been scammed is called and offered help, but the purpose of the call is to scam him again.

"Back to school"

Like all scams, this one targets vulnerable people - in this case, current or recent graduates. Here are some common variations on the theme: Someone calls a recent graduate and offers them a scholarship that doesn't exist, or says they'll help them find a roommate or rent a house that doesn't exist. The purpose of the scam is to obtain personal information, sometimes financial, which is then used by the scammer.

Arrest or deportation

Useful Note: If the FBI plans to arrest you, they will not warn you. The swindler will say that he is from the FBI and has a warrant for your arrest. May introduce himself as an immigration officer and report possible deportation. The caller will ask you to make a payment to cancel the order.

Google listing fraud

In this type of fraud, the caller will claim that he can add or remove the company to Google for a fee. Non-Google subscribers are not authorized to do this.

According to Google, an operator may call you for customer service or support, but a true employee “will never ask you for payment information by phone or guarantee you a profitable Google placement.”

Read also on ForumDaily:

$ 10 million scam: Amazon couriers steal goods from customers and sell them again on the retailer’s website

25 fraud schemes that could deprive you of a US pension

10 most dangerous types of fraud in the US and how to protect yourself

How scammers lure money from immigrants by pretending to be ICE agents

Do you want more important and interesting news about life in the USA and immigration to America? — support us donate! Also subscribe to our page Facebook. Select the “Priority in display” option and read us first. Also, don't forget to subscribe to our РєР ° РЅР ° Р »РІ Telegram  and Instagram- there is a lot of interesting things there. And join thousands of readers ForumDaily New York — there you will find a lot of interesting and positive information about life in the metropolis.