Here are a few tips to help protect you against vishing scams:
1. Don’t trust caller ID. Phone numbers and caller identities can be faked to look like a safe caller.
2. Don’t send money or give out personal information to unsolicited phone calls from unfamiliar companies or unknown persons.
3. If the caller claims to be from a company requesting information or money, hang up and call the company’s official phone number to verify the info.
5. Block confirmed spam calls via your cell phone or phone provider.
6. Don’t fall for “urgent” scams. If you receive an urgent call that “needs” immediate action, do not jump into anything without verifying the facts first.
7. If family members or friends call to request information or money, be sure to gather all the information and then tell them you will call them back. Verify phone numbers and situations.
- If you find that their phone number is different, test the number you have on file to see if that person picks up. You can also verify with a mutual acquaintance that the number has changed, or contact the place or business that the caller is dialing from.
- If a caller says that you won’t be able to call them back, that’s a red flag—be careful about moving forward.
- Ask the caller a question that only they would know. Avoid questions easily answered on social media and aim more towards personal questions that only you and the caller would know.
8. Most of all, remember: if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!
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