How to protect yourself from fraud the following is a report fraud resource
Source: admin Release Time: 13:03:50 2018-10-16
While phone scams are designed to get victims flustered and panicked on the phone so that they make a rash decision, most of them are actually quite similar.
- Usually, the most important thing is that you don’t give away financial and sensitive personal information (address, date of birth, bank information, ID numbers) out over the phone.
- Secondly, you can always ask the person calling for more information, do some research, and call them back. If they’re reluctant to comply, they’re likely trying to scam you.
- Remember to check your bank and credit card statement regularly, especially after getting a suspicious call.
- Also, try not to get pressured into making quick decisions. You should always feel like you can take the time to research an organization, including checking it out online.
- Be wary of sending money anywhere for an emergency situation.
- Lastly, never send money by prepaid card or wire transfer (which are difficult to track) to someone you don’t know.
With the rise of the Internet, many scammers are moving to the web. But that doesn’t mean that they’ve forgotten about the phone. Any tool that gives them a shroud of anonymity can be used to take advantage of people, especially the elderly. Fortunately, most phone scams can be avoided by simply not making any rash decisions. So, remember: take a deep breath, and don’t let anyone push you into doing something that sounds suspicious.
Additional Resources
- The Federal Do Not Call Registry
- The Better Business Bureau Scam Tracker
- Federal Trade Commission Guide to Fake Debt Collectors
- The Federal Trade Commission Guide to Scam Alerts
- AARP Phone Fraud Guide
- Merrick Bank Warning on the CVV Scam
- IRS Guide to Tax Scams
- Resources from the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners
- Malwarebytes Guide to Tech Support Scams
- U.S. Department of the Treasury: Report Scams
- Microsoft Guide to Technical Support Scams
