We’ve all received them – those phone calls from numbers you don’t recognize. There’s a good chance you may have even answered one, especially if it appears to be from a local number.
We’ve all received them – those phone calls from numbers you don’t recognize. There’s a good chance you may have even answered one, especially if it appears to be from a local number.
Odds are though, that call isn’t from someone you know. Instead, it’s from a scammer.
Maybe they are calling about Medicare supplements – after the Dec. 15 deadline to make changes to plans. It could be about utilities – those are going to be shut off even though you know you paid. They may tell you they are with the IRS. Scammers use scare tactics. They play on your emotions and all in an effort to get your personal information and money. It can be scary and confusing especially when caught off guard.
These are savvy scammers who often impersonate real businesses. It’s easy to be confused and as technology advances, so do the scams. Auto dialers afford scammers the ability to send millions of robocalls out each day for pennies on the dollar. Spoofing tools can fool your caller ID into thinking it’s a real corporate number or government agency trying to reach you.
“It all starts with a seemingly harmless text, call, or email, but it ultimately results in a devastating blow to Hoosiers’ hard-earned savings,” Attorney General Todd Rokita said in a statement released in October. “Do not disclose your financial or other personal information. If you get a scam call asking you to wire money, use cryptocurrency, or gift cards, hang up the phone and contact my office. Scammers are real and create real problems for innocent people.”
If you’ve been scammed, you aren’t alone. According to the latest data released in October, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission received more than 5.88 million fraud reports in 2021, up 19% from the year prior.
To help protect yourself from falling victim to phone and other types of scams consider the following tips from the attorney general office:
—Don’t wire money, send cash, or use gift cards or cryptocurrency to pay someone who says they’re with the government.
—Don’t give your financial or other personal information to someone who calls, texts, or emails and says they’re with the government.
—Don’t trust your caller ID. Your caller ID might show the government agency’s real phone number, but caller ID can be faked.
—Don’t click on links in unexpected emails or text messages.
—Don’t click on any link, and don’t pass it on to others. Simply delete the message.
—Look out for prerecorded calls from imposters posing as government agencies. Typically, neither the Internal Revenue Service nor the Social Security Administration make phone calls to
—If you suspect fraudulent activity, immediately terminate the communication, and do not provide any personal information.
—Add your number to the Indiana Do Not Call List.
—Contact our Consumer Protection Division at 1-888-834-9969 or donotcall@atg.in.gov.
Washington Times-Herald
