What are Caller ID Spoofing and scam calls?
Scam calls are a form of fraudulent activity with the goal of stealing your money or your information. Caller ID spoofing is when a caller deliberately changes the information transmitted to your caller ID display to disguise their identity, so you’ll answer the call.
Tips to protect yourself
- Don’t give away your personal information on the phone to an unsolicited caller.
- If the call is at all suspicious, it is probably is a scam. Just hang up.
- Be aware that a Caller ID showing a “local” number doesn’t mean it’s a local caller. If the caller claims to be from a legitimate organization and you’re unsure, hang up and call back using a number from their website or your latest bill if you are a customer.
- If they say they are calling regarding one of your accounts, ask for more information. Call back using a number from their website or your bill.
- If the caller (often a recording) asks you to press a button to stop receiving calls or asks you to say “yes” in response to a question, hang up. Scammers often use these tricks to identify, and then target respondents, or use your “yes” to apply unauthorized charges to your bill.
Steps to take if you’re a victim of a phone scam
- If you have lost money as a result of a scam call, contact your local law enforcement agency for assistance.