Can you tell a scam from a legitimate call? Sometimes it’s easy. However, scammers are resourceful. Read on.
Lately, scammers have been having the time of their lives. According to the he FTC, the median loss from a successful phone scam in 2019 was $1,000. And new technology makes scammers’ lives even easier than before. With auto dialers, they can reach thousands of numbers in one minute, and with available spoofing tools, they can pretend to be literally anybody.
Do you know how to tell a legitimate call from a scam? Be especially careful if you come across one of these most often warning signs.
- Scammers often tell you they’re working for a government agency or a major tech company, such as Apple or Microsoft. However, always keep in mind these companies will rarely call you (if you haven’t contacted them first).
- Scammers usually offer products and services which are too good to be true. The most often examples are cash prizes, cheap (or free) travel packages, debt reduction, or low-risk (but, of course, high-return) investments.
- Scammers often take advantage of disasters, such as hurricanes or the coronavirus pandemic. If an unsolicited call from a charity comes, be careful.
–> Learn 5 rules to follow if you don’t want to fall for a charity scam.
How to get rid of scam calls?
If you don’t want to put up with all these scam calls anymore, you have three options. First, turn off your phone. Second, throw it away (and wait for Santa to bring you a new one). Third, get an effective spam blocker.
We believe in the third option. That’s why we created the new and improved Should I Answer app. For years, it’s been popular with millions of people all around the world. And that’s also the app’s greatest strength.
The Should I Answer app is based on a community spam database (there are 30 000 new reports daily!), so it can block all incoming spam calls for you. It’s also perfectly safe: your data and personal information never leave your phone.
Get the app for free (Android)
or get the Should I Answer app for iOS