How do you know if a phone call is a scam?
In today’s technology world, not only institutions but also individuals are frequently exposed to cyber attacks and frauds. Thanks to advanced technologies, fraudsters can develop different tactics to deceive innocent people by using more effective methods. In particular, the increases in phone fraud, which is considered one of the most common crimes faced by modern society, pose a serious threat to individuals losing their personal information and money to fraudsters. Alev Akkoyunlu, Operations Director of Bitdefender Antivirus distributor Laykon Bilişim, explained the points to be taken into consideration regarding phone fraud and ways to protect against attacks.
Ways to understand what a scammer is calling
- Having international area codes that look like local.
- Whether the number matches the caller ID and the company he is referring to.
- Claiming to be from the police or an official government agency.
- Caller ID shows ‘Possible Fraud’ or ‘Spam Risk’.
- Stating that there is a problem and requesting a software download or access permission.
- Requesting verification of personal information such as TR ID number, passwords and bank account numbers.
Points to consider when responding to a scammer
If a spam call is answered, you need to act calmly, without panicking. In many cases, it’s not just answering a spam number, but what you share with them that can put you at risk. The more personal data a fraudster obtains; The higher your risk of identity fraud, theft, or having new loans illegally opened in your name.
- Never give your personal or financial information to people calling from numbers you do not trust. If you suspect a scam, hang up.
- Verify their identity before providing any information. Ask for their name and extension number. Hang up the phone and call the institution again on their official number.
- Silence unknown numbers on your smartphone. In this way, calls are placed directly on busy call.
- Use your carrier’s spam blocker app to detect known scam numbers.
- Do not call back numbers that call for a short time and then hang up. This is a common scam tactic used by scammers to get you to call back.
- Do not give remote device access to anyone you suspect or accept anything from unsolicited callers.