After analyzing more than 50 billion calls made to mobile customers over 18 months, technology company First Orion predicts that nearly half of all calls to mobile phones will be fraudulent in 2019 unless the industry adopts and implements more effective call protection solutions.
Over the past year, First Orion’s data shows a drastic increase in mobile scam calls—from 3.7% of total calls in 2017 to 29.2% in 2018—and that number is projected to reach 44.6% by early 2019. A common tactic used in fraudulent calls is neighborhood spoofing, where the scammers use caller ID spoofing to make it appear that the call is coming from someone nearby. The fraudsters know that people are more likely to answer the phone if the call appears to be from someone they may know. Even if the person called does not get scammed, answering these calls indicates the number is valid and may cause them to receive more scam calls.
Consumers answering a scam call may be told that they owe money to the IRS, that a family member needs money due to an accident, illness or arrest, or that a family member is in danger. If you receive a call such as this, do not be rushed into sending money and do not be tricked into giving personal information to an unknown caller.
Most call blocking apps are ineffective at blocking these calls because increasingly the scammers are spoofing a seemingly endless stream of random phone numbers.
The Better Business Bureau suggests the following steps to protect yourself from telephone scams and nuisance calls:
- Don’t answer calls from phone numbers you don’t recognize, even if they appear to be local. If they really need to reach you the caller will leave a message.
- Your own phone number may be used in a caller ID spoof call, leading to calls and messages from people asking why you called them. It helps to know about caller ID spoofing to understand how this happens.
- Don’t trust caller ID that says local businesses, including a doctor’s office or insurance agent, are calling you. If you’re not certain the call is legitimate, hang up. Look up the phone number for the business and call back.
- Although they cannot stop them all, some call blocking apps may decrease the amount of spam calls, including those using a reported spoof caller ID. Also consult your phone carrier to see what they can do.
- Get your phone number on the National Do Not Call Registry. It won’t stop the scammers from calling, but it should reduce the number of calls received from legitimate telemarketers. That can make it easier to spot the scammers.
