Phone scams are rampant! Online phishing scams are, of course, a huge email problem, but the move to text and voice is rapidly increasing.

Phishing statistics show that in 2022, there were 300,497 phishing victims with a total loss of $52,089,159 in the U.S. alone. (Forbes)

If you are tech-savvy - this will be a refresher (we all need those). Think of it as swapping out your constant reminders for someone else’s constant reminders - giving you a break, and giving them a new way to hear important information! 

If you are not tech-savvy - then this is valuable information to help keep you safe. 

Ready? Here we go!

1 - Don't answer calls from numbers you don't recognize. 

Even if you just say “hello” and then hear a “click”, those annoying hang-ups are robocallers going through a phone list to determine which numbers are active. 

2 - If there is no response when you DO answer:

• Don't say "hello... hello... hello?" 
• Don't "give them a piece of your mind” when it becomes obvious that the call is a scam. 
• Don’t try to be humorous or conversational. 

Criminals don't care if you're angry, irritated, or polite. Every word you say carries information. Anything you say - and any emotions you use - are just additions to their database, to be used against you or someone else. 

It’s also likely that you are talking to a machine with pre-programmed responses and a VERY human-like voice. 

3 - Never give out - or confirm - personal information

• Don’t answer questions about the name of your bank, where you live, or if you like to travel. 
• If the caller says "I see you are a client at Bank XYZ, so we can offer you an amazing deal on Product ABC”. Don’t say ”I don’t bank there.” Any response from you confirms personal information about you, and adds responses to their voice-print collection.

4 - If you receive a call from a business (your bank, for example)

• Find the phone number in a safe way. Go to your address book (yes - some people still have a hard copy "address book"!), your phone’s business contacts, or open a new page on your web browser and type in the website by hand (or use a trusted bookmark that you have saved).  
• Wait 3 minutes before making your call.
• A phone connection does NOT disconnect when only one side hangs up. When you hang up, criminals can keep the connection live by staying on the line. When you start your call-back, with your safe phone number, they will even play a "dial tone" to make you believe that you have a new connection. Different phone systems have different wait times for complete disconnection.
• If possible, make the next phone call on a different phone line (switch from landline to mobile phone or vice versa).

5 - When anyone asks you for money, private information, or ANYTHING else out of the ordinary: 

• Hang up.
• Wait 3 minutes. (*See #4 above)
• Call a trusted friend or family member and, if necessary, the police. If possible, make this call on a different phone line.

6 - Don't EVER believe that someone you love is in trouble and “calling you to save them” by complying with outrageous requests for money. 

Wait 3 minutes (see #4 above), then call them back using THEIR phone number, THEN call their parent, partner, friends, boss, the police - call EVERYONE you can think of, until you speak to the REAL loved one and feel reassured that all is well. NO-ONE will EVER call you when they are in trouble and ask for an envelope of money to be handed to a random person who rings your doorbell. 

I remember a great news story from last year (-ish ?) about a lovely lady whose "grandson" called her with a bizarre request for money - of which he was in desperate need, or [ add horrifying consequences here]. She agreed immediately and set up a pickup time. When the pick-up person rang the doorbell, the police (with whose help she had set this up) answered the door.

This is a very short list of options and examples. Let’s keep adding to it!

How do you stay safe online? How do you keep your family, business, and clients safe? 

If you're not sure, or if you want to up your online safety game - add a comment, or send a DM / email. There are easy things you can do, and you will be amazed at how quickly they lower your risk.

Let’s keep the conversation going!

📣 Share this with your network or a friend! 

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Let’s Keep Cyber Criminals Unemployed!

⭐️ Stay safe! ⭐️

Originally published at https://www.linkedin.com.