PHONE owners must listen out for the dangerous signs of a scam call.
Speaking to The U.S. Sun, a cyber-expert has revealed the “red flags” that signal you’re on the phone to a scammer.
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Scam calls can strike on your Android or iPhone at any time – and can prove very costly.
If a sophisticated scammers sinks their claws into you, they could steal significant amounts of money.
And at the very least, they could take enough info to defraud you or sell your data on to someone else.
Paul Bischoff, Consumer Privacy Advocate at Comparitech, revealed that there are three “scam red flags” to look out for on a phone call.
The first is when a scammer uses threatening language or adds time pressure.
“The caller tries to instil a sense of urgency by rushing you into a decision before some arbitrary deadline,” Bischoff told The U.S. Sun.
This is designed to get you to act without thinking it through.
If a scammer can rush you into a decision, you might not consider all of your options.
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These high-pressure tactics are often used by salespeople, but are favored by scammers for the same reasons.
The second sign that you need to look out for is a suspicious phone number.
“The phone number that the caller is calling from does not match their supposed organisation’s officially listed phone number,” Bischoff revealed.
Whenever you receive a suspicious or unexpected phone call from a business, make sure to check their official website.
That way you can cross-reference whether the official phone number is the same as the one dialling you.
Thirdly, you should be very concerned if the person on the phone starts asking for highly sensitive information.
“The caller asks for a password, money, or other private information unsolicited,” Bischoff said.
This can be a clear sign that you’re on the phone with a scammer.
If someone asks you these questions, it’s best to hang up and call the business directly using the official number on the website or app.
That way you can verify any requests with the real business.
Don’t use any contact details provided by the person on the original phone call, as they may be fraudulent.
