Phone scams are on the rise, and more and more people are falling victim to them every day. But there is hope. There are steps you can take to protect yourself from these scams and to fight back if you do fall victim. Here are five tips for avoiding phone scams.
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Reverse Phone Lookup
Identifying a phone number that is calling you can be difficult. You can use a reverse phone lookup service if you do not have caller ID or the number is unlisted. This service will help you to find out the name and address of the person or business associated with the phone number.
There are many reverse phone lookup services available online, but not all of them are free. Some services will allow you to perform a limited number of searches for free but will charge for additional searches. Be sure to read the terms and conditions of any service before you use it.
The best reverse phone lookup services are those that offer a money-back guarantee if they cannot find the information you need. This ensures that you will not be charged if the service is unsuccessful.
Call-blocking apps
Call-blocking apps are a great way to avoid unsolicited calls, including robocalls. Call-blocking apps can also help you block spam calls. Many carriers offer call-blocking services. These apps are free, but you should carefully read the terms and conditions before you download them to your phone. Some of these apps may also ask for your contact list, which you will want to keep private.
RoboKiller is a spam call-blocking app for Android and iOS. The paid version costs $2 per month, but you can try it for seven days for free. Nomorobo is free on some landlines but costs $2 per month on Android and iPhone. If you’re using an iPhone, you’ll have to enable spam filtering before using the app.
Do Not Call Registry
If you’re getting spam calls on your cell or home phone, you should register it on the Do Not Call Registry. Then, file a complaint and block the calls. You can also install a call blocker to send unwanted calls to voicemail.
Robocalls are one of the biggest nuisances when it comes to phone scams. Most of these calls are illegal. Although the Do Not Call Registry was created to protect you from telemarketing calls, robocall scammers have gotten clever and used new technology to target their victims.
Call a number you can verify online
You might be worried about phone scams when you get an unknown call, and you don’t know who it is. But there are ways to verify that it’s not a scammer. First, you can report a number to the FTC for unwanted calls. Second, you can add that number to the Do Not Call Registry. But this only works if the caller is from a reputable company.
Third, never provide any personal information over the phone. Even if the caller offers you contact information for a company, it could be fake. Don’t ever give out your social security number or credit card number to a complete stranger. They might use this information to threaten you if you don’t comply with their demands.
Avoid making calls to numbers you don’t recognize
You may have seen ads or received voicemail messages that direct you to call a certain number. Don’t fall for this scam; always determine the area code before making the call. Some scams will ask for your social security number or personal information. Others will ask you to pay upfront for an item. In any case, it’s best to avoid taking calling numbers that you don’t recognize.
How phone companies are trying to defeat spam and scam calls
STIR/SHAKEN
STIR/SHAKEN is a set of technical standards developed to improve caller ID verification and prevent spoofing. When a call is made, the originating phone company uses STIR/SHAKEN to digitally sign the caller ID information. The receiving phone company can then check the digital signature to verify that the caller ID information is accurate.
This technology uses public key infrastructure (PKI) to ensure that your phone calls come from a legitimate number. This helps call-blocking services more effectively identify scam calls and flag them for further investigation.
The process of verifying caller ID is not always automatic, however. It requires cooperation between industry groups in individual countries. For example, Canadian VOIP providers are the only ones able to verify calls from any country, so it will be a few years until the technology is fully available across the U.S. However, many scammers still use the internet to make their calls. Fortunately, companies such as Vonage have committed to signing calls with STIR/SHAKEN.
The technology also prevents spoofing calls. It works by verifying the number and authenticating its path from start to finish. This prevents scammers from spoofing calls and gives you peace of mind that your calls are real.
Spam blocking services
There are many spam blocking services available that can help you protect yourself from phone scams. Some of these services are provided by your phone company, while others are independent.
T-Mobile offers a free service called Scam Block that automatically blocks calls from likely scammers. The company also offers a paid service, Premium Protection, which includes features such as fraud monitoring and identity theft protection.
Verizon offers a free service called Call Filter that identifies and blocks spam calls. The company also offers a paid service, Caller Name ID, which provides reverse phone lookup and caller blocking.
AT&T offers a free service called AT&T Mobile Security that blocks spam calls and texts. The company also offers a paid service, AT&T Call Protect, which provides reverse phone lookup and caller blocking.
Sprint offers a free service called Premium Caller ID that blocks spam calls and texts. The company also offers a paid service, Sprint Global Roaming Plus, which provides international call blocking and fraud protection.
Conclusion
Phone scams are a major problem, and they’re only getting worse. Fortunately, phone companies are implementing new technologies to help block scam calls. Additionally, there are many ways to you protect yourself from these scammers. Remember to never provide any personal information over the phone to a stranger, and be suspicious of any calls from area codes you don’t recognize.
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