Phone Scams

Never wait to report suspicious activity, especially if you think it's fraud.

Phone scams can come in many different forms, but they all have a few things in common: scammers posing as a legitimate business or government agency and creating a sense of urgency. They may be looking for your personal information and account numbers to steal your identity or looking to steal directly from you by requesting money transfers or gift cards.

Unfortunately, phone numbers can easily be spoofed (displaying a different number than the one being used), so using caller ID is no longer a reliable way to verify an incoming call. Scammers use this to their advantage by spoofing an official number to lull you into a false sense of security.

When you receive a call like this, the best thing to do is don’t share your information, ask for the caller’s information, do some research and call back. Legitimate businesses will understand your precaution and give you any information needed to verify the authenticity of the request. When calling back, make sure to use a phone number that can be verified through their website or other official means.

Additional Resources:

• Enrich Article: Identity Theft Scams On Your Cell Phone
• Enrich Article: 5 Steps for Avoiding Phone, Email, and Mailed Scams
• Enrich Article: How Phone Scammers Are Targeting Your Social Security Number
• Webinar Recording: ID Theft Prevention