HOW-TO PROTECT FROM PHONE SCAMS

Three steps you can use to identify if a call is legitimate or a scam

Steve Smith talks about three steps you can use to determine if the person calling you works for a legitimate business or not.

Episode #8-42 released on June 10, 2018

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We are starting to be used to the idea of scams on the Internet, many are still tricked into every scam every day, but we are moving towards ways of identifying what is legit versus what is actually a scam. Today, I tackle the idea of fraud by telephone.

First, a lot of fraud can be easily determined before you even pick up the phone. If you keep in mind some common-sense tricks. There is, always, the possibility to demand proof from the caller that they are truly legit. Even though many legitimate companies will hate some of my advice, it is important to note, that only they can provide evidence of who they are, and you can always find their numbers online or on your statements. So, first, looking at the call coming in, is their name attached to it, or do you recognize the phone number? Don't recognize the caller, let it go to voicemail, we have other steps we can use to determine who is real and who is fake.

Second, take the number, and the information provided in the voicemail, and start checking to make sure everything is legit. If you do business with a company, and they claim to be with that business you can pull out your statement and call that number for assistance. In the case of real calls, they will forward you to the proper department.

Third, still don't recognize the number, person or company? Go to a web-site like https://checkcallernumber.com/, and look up their number. If anyone else has encountered the phone number in question, it may have a rating indicating it is a fraud. Consider using Google search to do more research on the number, too. Valid numbers for legitimate businesses will often bring up the business claiming to call you.

Lastly, if the person or supposed company cannot provide proof of legitimacy and doesn't match any valid businesses you deal with. Block the number, many mobile phones have this option integrated, and consider making a police report. Also, post to the web-site, I talked about before, about your experience, and explain what you believe that call type is.

There is, also, a detail we must deal with. While, it is true that many calls seem to have individuals of Indian (India) descent, at least, judging from the accent we hear on the phone. And, while, a great many scams may originate from India, it is important to note the following: Anyone can work for legitimate companies, including people from India. And, anyone can be trying to defraud you. A white person can be just as likely as a person of color to be honest or deceitful. So, when you identify a possible call as suspect, please do not bring race into it, it has nothing to do with anything.

Host : Steve Smith | Music : | Editor : Steve Smith | Producer : Zed Axis Dot Net

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