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It took two phone calls to strip an 81-year-old woman of her $ 80,000 savings.
The first came from a man claiming to belong to the Social Security Administration. The woman thought that the call was legitimate because her identification screen displayed the phone number of the agency. In addition, the man knew his name and had his social security information.
The man stated that his account was a problem and that unless he immediately paid the money to fix it, his benefits would be cut off. She agreed to send him the funds.
Shortly after, she received a call from an accomplice who claimed to be an FBI officer. He told the woman that the first caller was an imposter and had cheated on her. He then convinced her that he needed money to catch the scammer. She agreed to transfer funds to her as well. At the twilight of her life, she lost everything.
This is one of thousands of so-called scams by impostors reported every year that target people in the United States, especially the older ones.
While the number of robotic fraud complaints has declined overall, the Federal Trade Commission, one of the government entities charged with regulating the telephony sector, has said that complaints of scams like the one described above were on the rise. In May this year alone, the FTC said it received 46,000 fraudulent scam complaints.
According to the FTC, the average amount of money lost by consumers duped by these scams is also on the rise.
In total, consumers reported losses of $ 285.2 million so far this year, with a median loss of $ 700, according to data from the FTC. In 2018, consumers reported losses of $ 239 million and a median loss of $ 500.
"Overall, fewer people are being scammed, but a few are losing much more," said Ian Barlow, coordinator of the FTC's Do Not Call program. "And there are many individual consumers who lose everything."
Older people are particularly vulnerable to scams.
"This is a very big problem," says Amy Nofziger, AARP Victim Crime Support Manager. "From an early age, we are taught to respect authority and, therefore, if you receive a phone call informing you that your social security number has been used in a crime, you will listen because we respect our government. . "
Consumers can no longer trust the numbers that appear on their caller's identity, she said, noting that the government would never ask for payment in the form of a wire transfer or gift card.
"If someone asks for it, it's a huge red flag and you have to hang up immediately," Nofziger says.
Criminals know more about you
Scams on impostors are on the rise as criminals do more research, especially on social media, to target and win the trust of victims who, in their opinion, could save a lot of money.
"Our older adults have not grown up with the Internet, as I might, and are really excited to be there and sharing things," says Nofziger. "But everyone posts far too much information on social media, whether you're over 50 or under."
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<p class = "canvas-atom-canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "Personal information readily available, & nbsp;if stolen in a data breach& nbsp; or from & nbsp;poorly secured social media accounts, data-reactid = "41"> Easily available personal information, whether stolen from a data breach or from poorly secured social media accounts, helps criminals add credibility to their downsides.
"Robocall's crooks know more about you, so they're specifically targeting you," says Al Pascual, assistant general manager and co-founder of Breach Clarity, a company that helps consumers understand the threat level of a breach. data and the steps to follow. need to take to be protected. "They claim to be a family member needing money or using other creative ways to make you pay."
And while the elderly are often the target of these attacks, people of all ages are exposed. The FTC claims that consumers under the age of 60 report losing money at a higher rate than consumers over that age. But older people remain the preferred target because, according to the FTC, older victims tend to charge their crooks for a longer day.
4 popular phone scams
There is an almost infinite variety of frauds. Here are some of the most popular ones for which you should be on the alert.
The scam of technical support
<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "How it works: In this scam, callers call victims pretending to be an IT customer service representative and tell them that there is a problem with your Apple ID, your Microsoft account, or your cable account information. In this fraud, the number is spoofed to give the call that seems to come from the 800 number of the company. The caller can even have your name and an old password. Once you are hooked, they will send you to a fake website to steal your money or collect your personal information, or they can trick you into giving them directly by phone. A favorite method is to ask their target to pay using a gift card, which victims will often buy at a pharmacy. Victims will enter the card information into a fake website or give the details of the card to the crook over the phone. The fraudsters then quickly exchange the value of the card. "Data-reactid =" 51 ">How it works: In this scam, callers call victims pretending to be an IT customer service representative and tell them that there is a problem with your Apple ID, your Microsoft account, or your cable account information. In this fraud, the number is spoofed to give the call that seems to come from the 800 number of the company. The caller can even have your name and an old password. Once you are hooked, they will send you to a fake website to steal your money or collect your personal information, or they can trick you into giving them directly by phone. A favorite method is to ask their target to pay using a gift card, which victims will often buy at a pharmacy. Victims will enter the card information into a fake website or give the details of the card to the crook over the phone. The fraudsters then quickly exchange the value of the card.
"We have actually seen a high number of calls from major technology company groups such as Apple and Microsoft; it's really a trend, "said Jim Tyrrell, senior director of product marketing at Transaction Network Services, which provides automated call detection to major telecommunications companies, such as Verizon and Sprint. "We have seen a two-digit increase in high-risk calls in the last six months," he said.
Family emergency scam
<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "How it works: Fraudsters pretend to be relatives or friends calling in an emergency. By retrieving your account on social media, they can learn about your family relationships, the names of your pets, your latest trips and more. In this scam, once the scammers have information, they call you, which gives the impression that a family member, such as a grandchild who travels to abroad, is in a distant prison or in the hospital and urgently needs urgent. funds. The urgency can cause you to send money before realizing it is a scam. And although you can usually recognize the voices of family members, there are some that you may not have talked about for a long time. Often, crooks ask the victim to keep the secret, in order to prevent the victims from checking with the family of the so-called crisis. "Data-reactid =" 54 ">How it works: Fraudsters pretend to be relatives or friends calling in an emergency. By retrieving your account on social media, they can learn about your family relationships, the names of your pets, your latest trips and more. In this scam, once the scammers have information, they call you, which gives the impression that a family member, such as a grandchild who travels to abroad, is in a distant prison or in the hospital and urgently needs urgent. funds. The urgency can cause you to send money before realizing it is a scam. And although you can usually recognize the voices of family members, there are some that you may not have talked about for a long time. Often, crooks ask the victim to keep the secret, to prevent the victims from checking with other members of the family the so-called crisis.
Imposing government swindle
<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "How it works: This is one of the most common frauds today. In this scam, criminals use phone number spoofing technology to fraudulently display the phone number of a government agency on the victims' phone in order to deceive the victims into believing that the IRS or & nbsp ;Social Security Administration& nbsp; call to ask for a payment. Scammers often have your name, social security number or other personal information. In the IRS scam, they can threaten to stop you or deport you, or revoke your license if you do not pay right away. With the social security scam, they often say that your benefits are blocked and can be reactivated for a fee. "Data-reactid =" 56 ">How it works: This is one of the most common frauds today. In this scam, criminals use phone number theft technology to fraudulently display the phone number of a government agency on the victims' phone in order to fool the victims into believing that the IRS or the Social Security Administration calls to pay. Scammers often have your name, social security number or other personal information. In the IRS scam, they can threaten to stop you or deport you, or revoke your license if you do not pay right away. With the social security scam, they often say that your benefits are blocked and can be reactivated for a fee.
Medicare scam
<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "How it works: Fraudsters call by claiming to be representatives of Medicare or a medical supplies company. Often, they look for your personal information and will tell you that they need your health insurance number so that you can get a neck brace. Sometimes fraudsters call to offer you free services or equipment in exchange for your Medicare information. They may say they need your information or money to get a new Medicare card, and if you do not act quickly, there will be a fee. "Data-reactid =" 58 ">How it works: Fraudsters call by claiming to be representatives of Medicare or a medical supplies company. Often, they look for your personal information and will tell you that they need your health insurance number so that you can get a neck brace. Sometimes fraudsters call to offer you free services or equipment in exchange for your Medicare information. They may say that they need your information or money to get a new Medicare card and that if you do not act quickly, you will have to pay a fee.
Tools to protect you
As scary as the threat may seem, there are technological and behavioral tools that can help you reduce your risk of being scammed by phone scams.
To help protect consumers, some phone service providers are deploying new call authentication technology called Shaken / Stir and are collaborating with software developers to improve analysis and artificial intelligence algorithms to monitor suspicious activity. networks to more aggressively prevent unwanted calls from reaching consumers.
"We are working with operators to develop the technology needed to protect their subscribers," said Gavin Macomber, executive vice president of First Orion, the automated call blocking company that powers T-Mobile's tools. "Their customers, overwhelmed by the number of unsolicited phone calls they receive, especially those who are looking to scam them, are giving carriers more responsibility to protect them."
AT & T and Verizon also work with automated call blocking companies to improve their security.
"Many operators now offer blocking at the network level," says Barlow of the FTC. "So we really encourage consumers to look for what's available to them."
But not all consumers are protected in the same way, especially those with traditional fixed copper telephone lines from small providers that have not yet switched to a digital network.
"Too many of these automated calls come from scammers intent on harming consumers," said Maureen Mahoney, a policy analyst at CR. "While there is a growing number of effective callout tools for mobile phone users and consumers with advanced residential phone lines, those with traditional landlines have few options." to protect themselves and can be expensive. That is why it is necessary that the telephone companies implement an effective anti-call technology for all their customers at no cost. "
How to protect yourself
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To hang up. Do not engage with robocallers; he can simply end up in more calls.
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Do not trust the identity of the caller. Fraudsters can give the impression that their calls come from reliable institutions.
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Do not pay anyone who calls you over the phone. If you receive a call to try to get paid, it's almost certainly an illegal automated call.
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Never pay by bank transfer, gift card or prepaid card over the phone. No legitimate company or government agency requests to be paid with Amazon, Google Play or iTunes gift cards.
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Resist the temptation to act immediately no matter how bad the story is.
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Report fraudulent calls to the FTC at donotcall.gov or by calling 877-382-4357. The more data there is in the agency, the more she can focus on law enforcement, says Barlow.
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Register in the Excluded Telephone Number Register. This may not reduce calls from criminals who do not know the registry, but will reduce calls from legitimate businesses.
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<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "Consumer Reports is an independent, non-profit organization that works alongside consumers to create a fairer, safer, healthier world. CR does not endorse any products or services and does not accept advertising. Copyright © 2019, Consumer Reports, Inc."data-reactid =" 77 ">Consumer Reports is an independent, non-profit organization that works alongside consumers to create a fairer, safer, healthier world. CR does not endorse any products or services and does not accept advertising. Copyright © 2019, Consumer Reports, Inc.
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