The Better Business
Bureau of Minnesota and North Dakota (BBB) has a few tips on the favorite tool
of many scammers: the telephone. Each and every day, shady operators work the
phones to defraud consumers and business owners. Though there’s no way to protect
yourself completely from phone scams, there are things you can do to reduce
your risk of becoming the next victim.
If you receive a phone
call from someone who makes threats, tells you that you’ve won a cash prize (or sweepstakes) or demands
immediate payment in regards to a debt you’re unfamiliar with, those are all
signs the call is likely fraudulent. If you receive calls like this, or
requests for personal information, BBB advises the following:
Don’t panic. If the
calls are abusive or if the callers threaten you with arrest, stay calm. Keep
in mind that scammers are hoping that you’ll pay them off quickly just to make
the matter go away. Always get verification of any alleged debts in writing.
Remember, legitimate collection agents cannot threaten you with arrest, and
even if you owe a debt, you still have rights through the Fair Debt Collection
Practices Act (FDCPA).
Never give out any
financial information, such as your bank account, credit card or Social
Security numbers over the phone.
Be realistic. You can’t
win a lottery or contest you didn’t enter, and if you have to pay money upfront
to receive your “winnings,” you haven’t won anything.
Think about what you’re
being told. If a caller claims to be with your bank or your credit card company
and wants your account information so they can verify it, they aren’t telling
the truth; your bank and your credit card company already have this
information.
Listen closely. If the
caller uses poor grammar and/or has a heavy accent, be on alert. Many fraudulent
calls originate overseas.
Trust your instincts.
If something doesn’t seem right to you, end the call or ask the caller to call
back later, after you’ve had time to research their claims.
Don’t rely on caller
ID. Scammers can use technology to make it appear as though their calls are
coming from legitimate businesses.
Another phone scam
which has been making the rounds again lately is the “one-ring” scam. This scam
targets cellphone owners and tries to entice people to dial an unknown number
back by ringing just once and then disconnecting. People who return these calls
don’t realize they’re calling international numbers – with normal-looking
prefixes such as 473, 809, 876, 284 and 268 – in the Caribbean, where charges
can add up quickly. If you receive a call from an unknown number, it’s best to
ignore it and let it go to voicemail.
Report suspicious phone calls to bbb.org or the Federal Trade
Commission (ftc.gov).