topic Re: How Scammers Are Using Familiar Phone Numbers To Steal Information in Community Chat

How Scammers Are Using Familiar Phone Numbers To Steal Information

handygal2 — Tue, 12 Dec 2017 16:55:30 GMT

Do you often get phone calls that show up on your caller ID as local numbers that appear to be from people in your neighborhood? I do! This is a very prevalent and onerous scam.

This youtube video is worth watching. It was featured recently on NBC News. Scary stuff...

https://youtu.be/dm2weICqrAE

Re: How Scammers Are Using Familiar Phone Numbers To Steal Information

cotton4me — Wed, 13 Dec 2017 07:48:55 GMT

We usually get about 6 - 12 scams calls a day. Yesterday, four of the calls used our local exchange. I have a call blocker that can block by exchange so I've blocked ours. I don't know anyone that uses it so it works for us. It's frustrating to say the least. We received a recent email from our telephone co saying that they're going to begin marking scam calls so that what appears on caller ID will be the word SCAM, then the number.

Re: How Scammers Are Using Familiar Phone Numbers To Steal Information

DrKelli — Tue, 12 Dec 2017 17:06:15 GMT

I've cut down on those substantially on my cell phone with the app Hiya. All the robo calls I was getting was driving me crazy.

Re: How Scammers Are Using Familiar Phone Numbers To Steal Information

Mz iMac — Tue, 12 Dec 2017 17:09:11 GMT

I rarely get scam calls. Once I saw my own phone # on my caller ID.

Once you "answer" a scam call, your phone # is "sold" on the "dark web" as a "live one!"

Re: How Scammers Are Using Familiar Phone Numbers To Steal Information

NicksmomESQ — Tue, 12 Dec 2017 17:14:25 GMT

It’s happened to me several times.I either don’t pick up the call or immediately hang up.I never speak to them !!

Re: How Scammers Are Using Familiar Phone Numbers To Steal Information

123SuzyQ123 — Tue, 12 Dec 2017 17:18:57 GMT

Yes, I've been getting those for about 6 months now. One that I got last week even argued with me!! I told him it was only 6:15 AM where I live and he had woken me! I hung up and he called right back and said his time zone clock showed it to be 7:15 in my city. I told him that even if that was true, it was still waaaay to early to be calling people to tell them they could get a free medical alert bracelet, and I hung up on him AGAIN!! Ridiculous!

Re: How Scammers Are Using Familiar Phone Numbers To Steal Information

makena — Tue, 12 Dec 2017 17:21:16 GMT

Yes.

Re: How Scammers Are Using Familiar Phone Numbers To Steal Information

shaggygirl — Tue, 12 Dec 2017 17:22:30 GMT

YES! With increasing frequency! My area code and then the first 3 numbers are what probably 99% of the people in this town have as theirs. I often google the numbers and find they are supposedly from folks here in town or businesses here in town. There is NO WAY these are people who just dialed my number by mistake, it happens way too frequently. And I too have calls that show up as coming from my own phone number or the phone number on a separate line in one of my bedrooms. (I have 2 separate landline numbers).

Re: How Scammers Are Using Familiar Phone Numbers To Steal Information

proudlyfromNJ — Tue, 12 Dec 2017 17:25:54 GMT

Yes. I got one the other day with the local exchange and the name of my local grocery store. I looked up the grocery store and it was not the number that appeared on caller ID.

I also get calls from myself! I never answer the phone unless I know who it is for sure.

Re: How Scammers Are Using Familiar Phone Numbers To Steal Information

Carmie — Tue, 12 Dec 2017 17:34:55 GMT

I get these familiar numbers calls every day.

And, the newest scam started yesterday. I am expecting a call from someone in another area code, so when I got a call from that code, I answered.

i didn’t say anything, I just picked up the phone. The live caller on the line was a woman who spoke perfect English, no accent. She said she was calling about my unpaid electric bill. She went on about this being a courtesy call before my electricity was shut off. She could take my payment over the phone.

i still hadn’t said a word. She stopped talking and said “are you there.” I was still silent, then she said, “ You are there, I can hear you breathing.” I still ignored her and she hung up.

Today I received two calls from “accounts receivable”. A message was left to call them back about a bill that is unpaid. They could also take my payment over the phone.

I know that these calls are spam. I have no outstanding unpaid bills. The spammers are trying to get people to pay their bills over the phone with threats to turn off your utilities.

Even If you get a call from someone saying they are from a utility company and you know your bill is unpaid and you received a late notice in the mail, ask them to verify your name, address and account number before you pay your bill over the phone. Or hang up and call the utility back and speak to a customer service rep.

Re: How Scammers Are Using Familiar Phone Numbers To Steal Information

January121 — Tue, 12 Dec 2017 17:38:55 GMT

THANKS!!!

Re: How Scammers Are Using Familiar Phone Numbers To Steal Information

puttypiesmom — Tue, 12 Dec 2017 17:41:35 GMT

I received a phone call from an 800 number that I didn't answer but googled. It was a legitimate number of a bank that was being spoofed. I always check my inbox when I log into my bank and there were no documents waiting to be read. The caller Id did not come up with the name of the bank and I did not have them in my contact list. The 800notes said others have also been contacted and it was not the bank though a legitimate number and definitely a scam.

Re: How Scammers Are Using Familiar Phone Numbers To Steal Information

OKPrincess — Tue, 12 Dec 2017 17:44:44 GMT

We have all utilities on auto draft as well as our only credit card so we know those calls are fraudulent. It's still unnerving.

Re: How Scammers Are Using Familiar Phone Numbers To Steal Information

x Hedge — Thu, 14 Dec 2017 02:30:56 GMT

@Mz iMac wrote:
I rarely get scam calls. Once I saw my own phone # on my caller ID.
Once you "answer" a scam call, your phone # is "sold" on the "dark web" as a "live one!"

yes, and "answer" includes answering machine & VM.

Re: How Scammers Are Using Familiar Phone Numbers To Steal Information

Ms tyrion2 — Tue, 12 Dec 2017 18:00:39 GMT

If I don't recognize the number, I don't answer.

If they don't leave a voice mail they get blocked.

My life is peaceful.

Don't answer the phone if you don't know who is calling. If it is important they will leave a voice mail. If you think you are being clever by arguing or playing games with them, think again. You've simply given them proof it's a live number and the calls will multiply.

Re: How Scammers Are Using Familiar Phone Numbers To Steal Information

Nightowlz — Tue, 12 Dec 2017 18:16:43 GMT

Yes every day. I don't answer the call if I don't recognize the number. If people would stop answering their phones to numbers they don't know maybe these scammers would give up?

They even use our home phone number. You cannot call your own number so no way it would show up on caller id. LOL!!!

Re: How Scammers Are Using Familiar Phone Numbers To Steal Information

Greeneyedlady21 — Tue, 12 Dec 2017 18:23:24 GMT

Last winter I had to call the local police because my mother got scammed. Luckily I acted so quickly notifying all the appropriate people that nothing happened to her financially.

The police officer who came to the house said that these scammers even route calls through the police non emergency number, making it appear that the police are calling.

Re: How Scammers Are Using Familiar Phone Numbers To Steal Information

dragonflyveb — Tue, 12 Dec 2017 18:30:31 GMT

Yup, just got 3 calls in 2 hours, all from my area code and exchange.

I think the scammers have 2 goals in mind. One, to make you think it's a local caller. Two, even if you have call blocking, you don't want to block your entire exchange and area code because you may actually get a legit local call.

i just don't pick up. The one time I did, I was waiting on a local call. I picked up, and the person said, " can you hear me?" I read about that scam, so I hung up.

I wish my provider had NoMoRobo. Sigh.

Re: How Scammers Are Using Familiar Phone Numbers To Steal Information

GinaV24 — Tue, 12 Dec 2017 18:47:06 GMT

boy I'd love it if my carrier put SCAM on those numbers that come in on my landline, too. I simply no longer answer a number unless I recognize it as someone I know.

I had one a few weeks ago that was computer generated but sounded so human like at first that I almost goofed up and said the word "yes" to a question! That is another part of some scams since some accounts are now voice activated. So I'm careful to say "correct" or "right" but never "yes" to any questions.

Re: How Scammers Are Using Familiar Phone Numbers To Steal Information

chrystaltree — Tue, 12 Dec 2017 18:49:56 GMT

I don't have to watch the video. Sure, I get calls like that on my landline. Which I don't ever use, the fax machine is connected to it but I see all incoming calls on my tv screen. I see the numbers and while they look local and might be local calls; it doesn't matter to me. They aren't friends, family or business I deal with so I don't care who is calling. I also get a lot of junk calls on my cell now, I don't answer and then I block that number.