Scams and Scammers – Phones

Scammers use phone calls and text messages to steal money and personal information — bank and card details, passwords, Social Security numbers. A friendly, professional voice or an official-looking text makes it easy to let your guard down, and scammers are skilled at creating just enough urgency that you act before you think.

Caller ID can lie

Scammers can make caller ID show any name and number they like — including your bank’s real name and phone number, a government agency, or a local number that looks familiar. A trustworthy-looking caller ID proves nothing. Judge the call by what the caller asks you to do, not by the number on your screen.

Common phone and text scams

• Impersonating a trusted organization. The caller claims to be from your bank, Microsoft, Amazon, the IRS, Social Security or the police, and says there’s a problem only they can fix.
• “Your account has been compromised.” A fake fraud department warns of suspicious activity, then asks you to “verify” your details, read back a code sent to your phone, or move your money to a “safe” account.
• Tech support calls. A caller says your computer has a virus and asks you to let them connect to it. Microsoft doesn’t make unsolicited support calls.
• Family emergency calls. A panicked call from a “grandchild” or other relative who’s been arrested or hurt and needs money urgently — sometimes using an AI-generated copy of their real voice, made from clips posted online.
• Scam texts. Messages about an unpaid toll, a package that can’t be delivered, a bank account problem or a prize, each with a link to a fake website that steals your card details or login.

Red flags

• Pressure to act right now — “your account will be closed,” “you’ll be arrested,” “don’t hang up.”
• Requests for personal information — passwords, account numbers, Social Security numbers, or one-time codes sent to your phone. Real organizations never ask you to read them a code.
• Unusual ways to pay — gift cards, wire transfers, cryptocurrency, payment apps or cash. No legitimate business or government agency demands payment this way.
• Requests for secrecy — “don’t tell your bank,” “don’t tell anyone in the family.”
• Requests to install an app or let them connect to your device.

Government agencies don’t work this way. The IRS normally contacts you by mail first, and neither the IRS nor Social Security will call to demand immediate payment or threaten you with arrest.

The best defense: hang up and call back

• When something feels off, end the call. You don’t owe a caller politeness or an explanation. Don’t press any numbers to “speak to an agent” or “be removed from the list.”
• Call back on a number you trust — the one on the back of your card, on your statement, or on the organization’s official website you typed in yourself. Never use a number the caller or a text gives you.
• For family emergencies, hang up and call your relative directly on the number you already have, or check with another family member. Consider agreeing on a family code word that a real caller would know.
• Don’t tap links in unexpected texts. If a text says you owe a toll, a delivery fee or a bill, check by going to the company’s official website or app yourself.

Cut down on scam calls and texts

• Turn on your phone’s built-in spam-call filtering, and your carrier’s free call-blocking tools if they offer them.
• Forward scam texts to 7726 (“SPAM”) — the major U.S. carriers use these reports to block scammers — then delete them.
• Register your numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry at donotcall.gov. It cuts down calls from legitimate telemarketers, though scammers ignore it — so a sales call after you’ve registered is a warning sign in itself.

If you think you’ve been scammed

• Call your bank or card company immediately, using the number on your card, and explain what happened. If you paid with gift cards, contact the gift card company right away.
• Change your passwords for any accounts you discussed or that may be affected, and turn on two-step verification.
• If you shared your Social Security number, place a free fraud alert with one of the three credit bureaus — it will notify the other two — or, for stronger protection, a free credit freeze with each bureau (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion). IdentityTheft.gov walks you through recovery step by step.
• If you let someone connect to your computer, disconnect it from the internet and have it checked — see Scams and Scammers – Web Browsers.
• Keep an eye on your accounts and credit reports in the months that follow.
• Report it to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov.

Need help?

If you have questions about a call or text you received, or you’re worried after sharing information or letting someone onto your computer, call PSA at (707) 506-6802 or send us a message.