May
23
Don’t Fall for Phone Scams
Phone scams happen every single day, but you can avoid falling for them with these tips.
Telephone scams may seem too unimaginable, that is, until they happen to you. Con artists are very manipulative and most people let their guard down when they are in the comfort of their own home. You may not think there’s anything some stranger can say to convince you to divulge any private information, but it happens every day. Avoid falling for a phone scam with these tips.
Don’t Become a Victim
- Never give away any personal information unless you initiated the call; personal information such as credit card numbers, birth date, or social security numbers.
- If you do not want to make an immediate purchase, ask them to send you a catalog or other information by email.
- If you feel uncomfortable about the call, just hang up.
- Never allow yourself to be hurried over the phone. Again, hang up if the caller is pressuring you.
- If an offer sounds too good to be true, that’s because it probably is.
Common Phone Scams and Telemarketing Fraud
- Free Gifts, Vacations, Prizes – If the offer is truly free, the caller should not need your credit card number. They will say they need your credit card number to hold onto your gift or vacation, but this is a lie.
- Jury Duty – The caller will call and claims to work for your local court and say that you have failed to appear for jury duty and a warrant is being issued for your arrest. When you claim to never have received your jury duty notice, the caller will ask for your social security number and date of birth to stop the warrant.
- Charitable Donations – Charitable donations to help fund research or the lives of the underprivileged may tug at your heart strings, but be weary before you open your wallet. Emotional pleas are designed to evoke feelings of guilt that may tempt you to donate a few dollars. Tell the caller you investigate all charities before donating.
Phone scams do not need to swindle you. Contact the security professionals at Cornwall Security Services, serving Ventura County and the surrounding Westlake areas in order to find the perfect security for you.
