Scammers are making off with more and more of people’s hard earned money each year – and a 2022 Harris Poll survey of around 2,000 American adults found 22% of had lost money to a phone scam in the past year
A security expert has revealed four clues that the person you’re on the phone with could be trying to scam you.
People can lose a lot of money to phone scams, sometimes even their life savings.
Scams constantly evolve, finding ways to cheat people out of their money or go after their personal information. Sometimes acting friendly as they’re doing you a favour but other times they may try and threaten or scare you.
Javvad Malik, lead security awareness advocate at KnowBe4, revealed four warning signs that the person calling you could be trying to scam you.
They could use threats or intimidation to get what they want, they may offer something too good to be true, the phone line might be distorted or they may request unusual forms of payment.
Mr Malik told The Sun: “Scammers may resort to intimidation tactics, such as threatening legal action, arrest, or suspension of services, to make you comply.
“Legitimate organisations typically communicate professionally and do not resort to such aggressive measures.”
When an offer is too good to be true, it often is. The expert warned: “Be cautious of calls promising unbelievable offers, lottery winnings, or unexpected financial benefits.
“Scammers use such tactics to lure victims into sharing personal information or making monetary transactions.”
It’s not just what the scammers are saying that could give them away. If the quality of line is bad it could indicate a scammer.
Mr Malik warned: “Many scam calls originate from overseas. And as a result, the call quality may be poor, with background noise, echoes, or delays.
“Additionally, you may encounter distorted voices or robotic-sounding callers, indicating a potential scam.”
Another indicator is if the person asks for a strange form of payment.
The expert said: “Scammers often ask for payment through wire transfers, gift cards, or cryptocurrency since these methods are difficult to trace. Legitimate entities generally offer multiple secure payment options.”
According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, scammers make off with more and more money each year.
The figure lost by victims increased to $3.5 billion in 2019 from $1.4 billion in 2017. A 2022 Harris Poll survey of around 2,000 American adults found that 22 per cent of had lost money to a phone scam in the past 12 months.
The app Truecaller, who commissioned the poll, predict as many as 56 million Americans may have been victimized this way, losing nearly $20 billion.
