Nowadays, in the age of advanced technology, call scams have become very prevalent and it even gets more accelerated after the advent of AI. Scammers may automate and customise their bogus calls to an unstoppable degree with the help of AI-powered technologies. They use remarkably accurate AI-driven voice synthesis to mimic human voices, making it harder and harder to know the difference between real callers and scammers.
Phone scams cost people a lot of money, sometimes even their entire life savings. Numerous methods have been devised by scammers to defraud you over the phone for your money. In certain cases, they appear amiable and supportive. Others may try to frighten you or make threats. It’s important to maintain up-to-date knowledge on the most recent call scams if you want to safeguard yourself against falling for malicious schemes such as robocall scams, UPI scams, Amazon parcel scams, and so on. Here, we will make you aware about the most recent call scams, along with tips on how to protect yourself from them.
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Latest Call Scams You Must Be Aware Of
Aadhar Scam
These days, scammers are using legitimate names or phone numbers of the employees UIDAI / AADHAR to commit fraud. In that case, do not rely on names or caller IDs to verify that the caller is a government employee because many fraudulent callers use local police department numbers or official government phone numbers. They could use legal threats to request personal information and they can also advise you that further information is required in order to increase your monthly benefit or failing to give the information will result in the termination of your Aadhar Card. But the fact is, any Government employee or UIDAI will never call you and ask you for your Aadhar Card OTP. It’s a fraud!
Loan Scams
Any fraudulent activity intended to deceive the lender or the borrower of credit facilities is referred to as loan fraud. Typically, the scam involves calling the target audience and promising a fake loan offer. In order for the loan to be approved, the scammers will demand advance payment or processing fee and then they will disappear with the money once it has been paid.
Fraudsters conduct such frauds by using deception and leaked personal information. Scams involving loans and finances are increasing with the increase in digitization and AI. Finding and targeting people based solely on their profiles is now simple thanks to the internet. Scammers can now use phishing and other techniques, such as gathering information from data breaches.
Charity Scams
The act of using deceit to obtain money from people who think they are contributing to a charitable cause is known as charity fraud. A person or group of people will frequently pose as a charity or a part of one or more donations to the nonexistent organisation from potential donors. Usually, they follow a particular process. They are adamant that you use a credit card to make a contribution to their admirable cause, and you must do so immediately. Your credit card can be charged up to its limit once they have your credit card number.
Make sure to read about the charity before making a donation, and don’t feel obligated to make an instant phone donation. Better visit the official website of a well-known Charitable organisation and donate directly to the organisation.
Prize and Lottery scam
This is a very prevalent scam when you randomly get a call from some fake organisation and they will convince you that you won a lottery or a prize. Scammers attempt to lure you into a lottery and reward scheme. Typically, the process involves receiving an unexpected notification that you have won something, but before you can claim your prize, you have to pay a fee. If you pay to be eligible for the prize, you frequently won’t get it or, if you do, it won’t be what you expected. Fraudsters use a variety of deceptive strategies, such as instilling a sense of urgency or instructing victims to keep their winnings private, to keep victims interested and convinced in the scam.
Robocall Scams
A robocall is a call that millions of people receive every day from auto-dialing software that plays pre-recorded messages. You are listening to a robocall if you answer your phone and hear a recorded message rather than a live person. These calls may ask for money or personal information while posing as banks, utility companies, or government agencies. The robocalls attempt to sell you something which is often illegal. Every month, robocalls amount to billions of calls worldwide, and most people consider them to be an annoyance. The reason robocalls are so common is because technology makes it inexpensive and simple for scammers and telemarketers to make calls via the Internet.
Parcel Scams
These frauds known as “fake parcel scams” occur when scammers send phoney emails, texts, or phone calls pretending to be a reputable delivery service or postal company, telling the customer that a package is on its way and requesting payment or personal information in order to access it. Scams like these are getting more and more frequent, especially around the holidays or during times when online shopping is very popular. Always check the sender’s phone number or email address to confirm the message’s legitimacy. You can also give the delivery company a call using a number from a reliable source, like their official website.
Credit Card Fraud Scam
Scams involving credit cards have also become popular with a rise in credit card usage. An increase in the volume of online sales, a rise in the number and variety of people using the Internet for transactions, and a growing comfort level with remote payment options are all targets for scammers. It covers a wide range of scams, such as phishing scams, interest rate reduction scams, overcharging scams, and donation scams. This may be the most dangerous scam because of the credit card. If a user falls for such a scam, they could lose a significant amount of money in a matter of seconds.
Call Forwarding Scams
Calls from scammers posing as customer service agents from your internet service provider or mobile network operator will occur. They will inform you that there is a problem with your SIM card or that your account has been hacked. After telling you that they have a simple solution for this, they will ask you to call a number on your phone. In reality, the scammers are simply forwarding your calls to a phone number they own. They will then attempt to access your bank account and other accounts, such as messaging apps. As the call forwarding is enabled, the scammer will now receive all your calls and get one-time passwords that will allow them to steal your personal information and commit fraud.
Also Read: Here’s How To Safeguard Yourself From Email And Text Message Scams
How to be safe from phone calls scams?
You must be vigilant and take preventative measures to safeguard your loved ones and yourself from AI voice scams. While handling such calls, one should keep the following points in mind.
- When using public Wi-Fi, use a virtual private network (VPN). VPN encryption prevents eavesdropping on your data while it’s in transit. Your data is also anonymized by these services, making it impossible to link it to you by IP address or other methods.
- Never give cash or private information to someone you speak with over the phone or through text message. They might be scammers trying to obtain your credit card numbers, bank account information, or passwords.
- Utilising third-party apps for social media and banking could grant them unauthorised access. Even worse, giving your login to unidentified parties could lead to a phishing scam where your credentials are stolen. Use the official app for each service you use, rather than combining all of your services into one app.
- Scammers can easily fabricate caller ID information thanks to technology. These days, it’s common practice to pose as correspondence from a reputable, well-known source. It is known as spoofing. Scammers can use spoofing to impersonate people’s real names and phone numbers in order to make the number seem familiar and increase the chance that you will answer. Keep an eye out for scam calls by being wary at all times.
- To protect your vital passwords, use secure services. Passwords should never be kept in a notebook or kept in your phone notes because they are extremely dangerous. To prevent hackers from reading your data, password managers encrypt it.
Also read: Keep Stalkers At Bay By Learning To Hide Online In Instagram
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