Top Five Phone Scams
Published: June 4, 2020
The National Association of Senior Advocates has created a handout regarding phone scams. Every day you hear of people getting scammed over the phone and we thought it would be useful to share this handy one-page guide that individuals could keep by the phone, on their refrigerator, or somewhere else for quick reference.
The colorful flier features five common phone scams and some quick tips on how to handle them. We’ve shared the content of the flyer below but we encourage you to print it out and share it with your senior loved ones, family members and friends.
Common Scams:
You’ve won a prize or free service but have to pay to get the prize: Its not a prize!
Tech Support: Microsoft, Apple, etc. WILL NEVER CALL YOU “OUT OF THE BLUE”.
Threatening Arrest: You won’t be arrested! A government agency will never call you threatening arrest.
You need to decide now: No, you don’t! Don’t fall for high pressure tactics.
Government agencies will not call you to confirm your sensitive information.
Your loved one is not in Jail and does not need money! If a scammer also tells you that you need to keep it a secret, it’s probably a scam.
What to Do:
Do not send cash or pay with a gift card: NEVER!
Do not trust Your Caller ID.
Hang up and Call them back: Either call the number of your loved one or look up the number of the company, agency or police department via a web search only. Do not call back the number on your caller ID.
Never give out your social security number or other sensitive info like credit card number or bank account.
Ask questions that only your loved one would know the answer.
Contact other family members or friends and see whether they can verify the story.
Trust your instincts. If something doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t.
This article can also be found on the NAOSA website. Feel free to comment and share on your social media pages.
USSFCU is pleased to announce affiliation with the National Association of Senior Advocates (NAOSA).
NAOSA was founded to protect our senior population from unethical business practices, scams and businesses who attempt to target and take advantage of not only seniors but all consumers. Please visit their website at www.naosa.org for more information. Be sure to also check out the free consumer membership that features the NAOSA Scam Alert, a free service that will notify you of any scams reported in your area.