Have you been receiving calls about your car’s extended warranty, credit card interest rates, or a free vacation? If so, you may be the target of a telemarketing scam.
Telemarketing scammers are people who use the telephone to try to trick you into giving them your money or personal information.
Telemarketing scams are common, and they can be compelling.
In fact, according to Hiya, in 2021, scam phone calls cost their victims an average of $567.41.
So in this article, we’ll show you how to look for telemarketing scammers and how to avoid them.
What Are Telemarketing Scammers?
Telemarketing scammers are those who conduct scams and fake sales over the phone. A telemarketer scammer will contact a victim and falsify causes to extort money from them.
Telemarketing scammers fall under a broad area that includes overseas lottery scams, efforts to get a credit card or personal information, and any other technique of defrauding consumers. Do not hand out any personal and financial details to telemarketers.
Read: How Long Does A Background Check Take For An Apartment?
How To Spot Telemarketing Scammers?
Telemarketing Scammers are masters at making “opportunities” appear genuine. This is one of the methods they use to get past people’s defenses.
They frequently use official-sounding terms like “high-yield opportunity to make money,” “prime bank note assurance,” and anything else that they can concoct from a dictionary.
They also know how to draw into your human traits, such as sympathy, a want to be a nice person, and a drive to not let people down.
Here are some examples of how they scam a victim.
- Appeals for donations, particularly in the aftermath of major natural disasters
- Prizes, trips, gifts, government subsidies, or anything else you’ve “won” and for which you have to pay a charge or tax
- Opportunities of working from home
- Pyramid schemes/systems
- Timeshares
How To Avoid Telemarketing Scammers?
The first step in preventing telemarketing scams is to be aware and educated. Other precautions to take if you suspect a telemarketing scam include:
1. Look For Red Flags.
Check whether the offers you receive from an anonymous caller are too good to be true.
If someone requests your personal information, hang up and report the number right away.
Also, if someone is pressuring you to take action on a specific issue, call the relevant authorities.
2. Ask About The Caller’s Name.
If you have doubts about the caller’s authenticity, just ask for their name and phone number. This allows you to conduct a background check on them while avoiding potential fraud.
3. Avoid Automated Phone Messages.
Most corporate and government organizations do not use automated texts.
If you’ve ever received an automated message, look up the phone number online. Don’t call them until you’ve thoroughly investigated the situation.
4. Use A Background Check Service.
It’s a good idea to do an online background check by phone number to figure out who’s contacting you.
These background check services give all the information you need to identify the scammer, such as the scammer’s address, criminal record, history, and more.
5. Do not Trust unfamiliar businesses.
Make sure you check unfamiliar businesses on consumer protection platforms like better business bureau (BBB), national fraud information center, etc.
Unfortunately, not all businesses are registered with these platforms, but you will be able to access a company’s credibility if they are registered.
6. When in Doubt, Ask Questions.
A legit business will never hesitate to share its business information, such as its business email id, phone number, address, business license, and other details.
If the business denies giving their information, it is probably because they are a fraud.
7. Never pay money in advance, Ever.
A lot of times, scammers would ask you to pay them money and promise you to deliver their services after that.
Never get in this trap. Always pay after they have fulfilled their promise or delivered their service or product correctly.
8. Do Not Give in to pressure.
A lot of times, scammers try to pressure you to pay them or to share your personal details or number with you. Never give in to pressure, and feel free to disconnect the call.
A legit company will give you enough time to think, you can always look them up during this time, and they will not try to create pressure on you.
9. Be aware of calls from unknown area codes.
If you get unknown calls from an unknown on an unusual area code, then avoid picking it up.
And definitely do not call them back. Calls made to unknown area codes can cost up to a minimum of $20 easily.
10. Do not share your checking account /bank account /SSN /mobile codes.
Never share your checking account details, credit card, bank account details, your social security number, OTP, SMS codes, etc., with any stranger on call.
If you share this information, you will be at high risk of losing your earned money.
Here are tips from Reddit users:
YSK: if you want a telemarketer to stop calling you, don’t curse them out, hang up without saying anything, or even ask them to take you off their list. Instead, tell them your phone is a business line, a wrong number, or simply mention the Federal No Call List or say you’ll report them on the BBB.
by in YouShouldKnow
Telecaller Scam Exposed!
Fraud/Scam Warning Signs
If you hear any of the following lines during a call or in a message, then it is highly likely that the caller is a fraud:
- You have been “chosen” a winner.
- You are “selected” to receive a gift.
- You are our “lucky contestant.”
- You will have to pay a “nominal fee.”
- We promise you “financial returns”, and “risk-free returns.”
Where To Call If You Think You Have Been Scammed?
You can contact the following authorities if you think you have been scammed:
- National Fraud Information Center – 1-800-876-7060
- Federal Trade Commission – 1-202-326-2000
- For mail fraud, contact your local postal Service.
- You can also get in touch with a consumer affairs agency, your state’s attorney general’s office, or the state or district attorney. You can find the numbers in your local phone book.
Also Read: What Is A Felony Charges Background Check?
Bottom Line
It’s easy to fall victim to a telemarketing scam, but it’s easier to avoid them if you know what to look for.
Be sure to educate yourself and those around you about these scams, and never give out personal information to someone you don’t know.
With a little vigilance, you can surely protect yourself and your loved ones from these heartless criminals.
FAQ’s
How to stop unwanted telemarketing calls?
To stop unwanted telemarketing calls you can:
- Activate DND
- Visit DoNotCall.gov
- Use a spam call blocking service
What type of information do scammers ask for?
Scammers ask for the following type of information:
- Social security number
- Bank account number
- Passwords
- Credit card information
- Other credentials
How to check if your phone has been hacked?
Here are signs that can tell you if your phone has been hacked:
- Your phone is running abnormally slow.
- Your phone is running out of battery quickly.
- You notice unfamiliar activity on your accounts.
- You notice unfamiliar activity on your text messaging apps.
Shefali Jain is a Content Writer & Editor at USWorkforce.org
After completing her graduation in hospitality, Shefali decided to follow her passion and started writing. Shefali has been writing for two years now and contributes to our website as a skilled editor and content writer with strong research skills. Writing product and service reviews, biographies, and book reviews are some of her key areas, among many others in which she specializes. In her time at the organization, she has written and edited content on a range of topics, including employment law, human resources, and business management.
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