PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. – Scammers are getting increasingly sophisticated and all of us can fall victim to their sneaky tactics. That's why Call Christina is here, to help spot scam trends and arm you with information to catch the red flags before you fall victim.
Call Christina team member Zoe Haugen said a con artist tricked her into revealing personal information over the phone by "spoofing" her cell phone number.
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"A few weeks ago an unknown person disguised their phone number as mine and called me claiming to be my cellphone provider and asked for my Social Security number," Haugen said. "I gave my Social Security number to this unknown person, who I now know was scamming me, and did as much as I could to protect myself afterwards. From that point on I have been on high alert for identity theft. I learned from my experience as a victim of this type of scam that I am not alone, and that there are valuable lessons about personal information security I gained from this experience that anyone could benefit from."
Call Christina Community: A team member's experience with a phone scam:
By working together and sharing our stories, we can look out for each other. Here is Call Christina team member Zoe Haugen's experience with a phone scam:
"I was eating lunch and received a call on my cellphone from my own phone number. I was confused when I answered the call.
On the other line, I heard a professional, eloquent and urgent voice. A man told me he was calling from AT&T. He warned me that there was a suspected security threat to my account and if I didn't verify my social security number they would shut down my cellphone service.
I panicked. I started reciting my Social Security number frantically and quietly so that no one else would hear it and try to scam me. But as I gave it to him I started thinking, is this a scam?
By that point it was too late and he hung up. That's when I realized I couldn't call back (because) my phone number appeared on the caller ID.
I called my cellphone provider to ask if the mysterious call was from them. It was not. I didn't know what the scammer intended to do with my Social Security number, but was well aware of the frightening possibilities.
My first reaction was to check my bank accounts for unusual activity. I called the credit card companies I have accounts with and spoke to their identity theft specialists. I did as I was advised in order to secure my accounts.
On the phone with Wells Fargo, I discovered these bankers have dealt with situations like mine before and are trained to handle them."
"Customers will get a phone call from what they think is their banking or financial institution pretending to update files and will ask for account numbers," said Chris Catania, Wells Fargo's customer experience leader. "But when it comes to your Social Security number, you have to take things a little further. Still let your banking institutions know, but also call one of the three major credit bureaus and file a report with law enforcement."
Haugen said she found out more about how to protect herself from Call Christina's segments and the Federal Trade Commission's identity theft web page.
Related link: Preventing identity theft, what to do if you've been victimized
As Call Christina has reported, Florida holds the country's top spot for ID theft; a complaint category that for the past 15 years has led the FTC's list of complaints.
Hackers can wreak havoc.
"It's a big problem and there's a whole world of victims out there that may not even know it," consumer protection attorney Jason Weaver said. "It can devastate your credit score immediately."
But there's things Weaver said you can do to protect yourself: Monitor your credit and get a copy of your credit report every year. It's free.
"Consumers who are victims of identity theft have to remember that they have got a two part problem. The first is their credit and getting it off their credit report. And the second is contacting these people who say the consumer owes them money. You need to tell them this isn't my debt," Weaver said.
Haugen has since gotten a free credit report and placed a credit freeze.
Related link: How to monitor and fix your credit score.
The Department of Justice identity theft web page also has helpful resources and suggestions, including contact information for the Social Security Administration and the fraud units of the three principal credit reporting companies.
"I assumed that the scammer disguised their phone number as mine, but also considered the possibility that the scammer may have hacked my cellphone in order to call me from my phone number, so I called the company that designed my phone," Haugen said.
A representative walked me through the process of erasing my phone and restoring it from a recent backup, which they recommended I do in case the scammer hacked my phone.
Finally, I changed the passwords to online accounts I have that contain anything confidential.
After hours of phone calls and research, I did not find any evidence that the scammer tried to use my personal information fraudulently. However, in the back of my mind I knew they could act at any time even if they haven't yet."
The growing issue of phone scamming
"What happened to me, or the practice of calling someone with a fake caller ID is called caller ID spoofing, and scammers can use any phone number they want, whether it is a government agency, a police department, a business, a bank, a person you trust, or even as in my case, your own phone number.
As Local 10 News investigative reporter Christina Vazquez reported back in 2015, con artists regularly use Caller ID Spoofing in the on-going IRS Imposter Phone Scam. Caller ID Spoofing is a trick to make callers think that the identification device is displaying a call from the IRS. They are also using IRS titles and fake badge numbers to appear legitimate. Just last month Call Christina reminded you to protect yourself from spoofing by never calling back the number that called you. Instead, call the IRS directly if you have a question."
Related link: Call Christina Hotline flooded with reports of IRS imposters
It is no longer safe to use caller ID to determine which calls to answer or avoid, and it is close to impossible to tell whether a caller ID is real before accepting a call.
"It's becoming more and more common," said Renee Thompson, the Florida Bankers Association director of communications. "People are looking for a way to quickly gain access to people's information, and one of the easiest and quickest ways is for people to give it to them themselves."
People have also called Christina about similar phone scams.
"They told her they would come by her house and cease her bank account, her home and (get her) driver's license suspended and (she would) go to jail if she doesn't come up with $10,000," said Catherine Fleming, who recently Called Christina about an IRS impersonator that calls her 84 year-old mother everyday, demanding money.
"They almost made her have a heart attack. She keeps asking me, 'Are you sure it's not the IRS?'" Fleming said.
On June 22, 2011, the Federal Communications Commission released rules to protect consumers against caller ID spoofing as they were directed to under the Truth in Caller ID Act.
The FTC amendments to the Telemarketing Sales Rule took effect on June 13 that grants consumers protections under the Rule by limiting telemarketers so that you can identify and report any newly illegal phone activity to the FTC.
According to the FTC the amended rule includes:
- limits on when telemarketers can call and what they must tell you
- limits on "hang-up" calls and rules about transmitting caller ID
- limits on robocalls
- the National Do Not Call Registry
Action you can take
The FCC recommends consumers take these precautions to avoid becoming a victim to caller ID spoofing:
- Don't give out personal information in response to an incoming call. Identity thieves are clever - they often pose as representatives of banks, credit card companies, creditors, or government agencies to get people to reveal their account numbers, Social Security numbers, mother's maiden names, passwords and other identifying information.
- If you get an inquiry from a company or government agency seeking personal information, don't provide it. Instead, hang up and call the phone number on your account statement, in the phone book, or on the company or agency’s website to find out if they actually need the information requested in the call you received.
The FTC offers useful advice about keeping your personal information, Social Security number and devices secure. They suggest consumers take these tips into consideration:
- If you get a strange call from the government, hang up. If you want to check it out, visit the official (.gov) website for contact information. Government employees won’t call out of the blue to demand money or account information.
- Don't give out or confirm your personal or financial information to someone who calls.
- Feeling pressured to act immediately? Hang up. That's a sure sign of a scam.
The FBI provides statements you can listen for in order to detect telemarketing fraud:
- "You must act 'now' or the offer won't be good."
- "You've won a 'free' gift, vacation, or prize." But you have to pay for "postage and handling" or other charges.
- "You must send money, give a credit card or bank account number, or have a check picked up by courier." You may hear this before you have had a chance to consider the offer carefully.
- "You don't need to check out the company with anyone." The callers say you do not need to speak to anyone including your family, lawyer, accountant, local Better Business Bureau, or consumer protection agency.
- "You don't need any written information about the company or their references."
- "You can't afford to miss this 'high-profit, no-risk' offer."
Taking action should help reduce your risk of being phone scammed. Remember that these suggestions do not guarantee full protection, so it is important always be alert for these attacks.
- Call Christina team member Zoe Haugen contributed to this report.