Scammers call people to defraud the person receiving the call. They have called from around the world and have diligently extracted personal information from their victims for years. To protect consumers, the FCC has mandated that all phone providers implement anti-robocall technology to help stop scam calls.
This post will walk you through everything you need to know about unwanted scam calls - the definition, different types, and how to block them. Block fraud calls and protect yourself from phone scams through the Community Phone spam call-blocking service. Read on to learn more!
What are Scam Calls?
Scam calls are fraudulent, malicious phone calls that present you with false promises, phony outstanding bills, or even blatant threats to gather your personal information or steal your money. They typically come from individuals impersonating people, companies, or government agencies.
What are Robocalls?
Robocalls are automated, pre-recorded phone calls through auto-dialing software. They are similar to scam calls because they aim to steal information from their victims. Stop robocalls before your phone rings with the Community Phone robocall blocker.
Most Common Phone Scams to Look Out for
When it comes to scam calls, here are six common types to look out for:
1. Threatening Calls From The IRS
One of the most common types of scam calls is threatening calls from the IRS. These seem to resurface every year around the tax season. They typically involve someone impersonating an IRS officer and telling you that your taxes are still unfiled.
If the IRS calls you to set up an appointment or discuss an audit, they will always attempt to notify you by mail first. They will never demand money or accuse you of not filing your taxes. You should hang up immediately if you suspect you received a fraudulent call from the IRS.
2. Technical Support Calls
Someone will call you pretending to be an official of a well-known company such as Apple or Microsoft. They will tell you that they have found an issue with your Windows or Mac product and offer to fix it for you.
If you oblige, they will proceed to ask for access to your computer, where they will download malicious software and hijack all of your data, rendering your laptop or desktop useless.
Technical support teams will only call you if you call them first. If you receive a phone call from someone claiming to be affiliated with a famous tech company, hang up and block their number immediately.
Another option would be to call the service provider to confirm if such an issue has occurred to ensure you get assistance if there is a genuine problem. But please cease entertaining inbound callers pretending to be tech support personnel.
3. Lottery Scams
Lottery scam calls typically involve someone calling you to say you have won a lottery. They will then ask you to provide your bank details to send the money and ask you to pay taxes on the amount before they can send it.
If you get a call like this, do not fall for it! Such a scam call can be pretty tempting, but if you provide your bank details, the scammer may extract money from your account and render you penniless.
4. Fake Charity Appeals
Fake charity calls are another popular scam. They tend to resurface whenever there is a natural disaster or significant event.
The scammers will impersonate an NGO and claim that the money they collect will go toward saving lives. In reality, they are preying on people’s goodwill and will keep any donated money for themselves.
5. Bank Fraud Calls
Bank fraud calls involve a scammer calling you and pretending to be a bank official. They will ask you for your banking information, including account numbers, passwords, and other sensitive data. From there, they will hack into your accounts and attempt to extract money.
If your bank does call you, they will never ask you to share account information over the phone because they already have it on file. You should never trust scam calls that claim to come from banks.
6. Website Password Requests
Asking you for your website passwords is another popular scam. Scammers will call you, claiming that there is some fraudulent activity on your web accounts. They will ask you to confirm your website password to verify your identity.
Websites will never ask you to share your passwords over the phone, so you should hang up immediately if you receive such a scam call.
Download Community Phone’s FREE Spam Blocking App
Community Phone now offers a free spam-blocking app for iOS devices, providing the best protection against unwanted calls. It blocks spam calls on your cell phone and landline before either phone rings, giving you peace of mind.
The Community Phone app has advanced features, such as notifications to alert you about the numbers it blocks. It has been carefully designed to ensure complete user satisfaction and convenience.
The Community Phone spam-blocking app is completely free to download from the Apple store, ensuring that everyone can protect their phones from annoying spam calls. Once installed, Community Phone works in the background to monitor incoming calls and blocks any suspicious activity.
The Community Phone app is incredibly easy to use, allowing users to customize settings according to their preferences. You can choose what type of calls you want Community Phone to block. Landline users can also set up a whitelist for specific contacts in the app, so Community Phone's filters will not block them.
Thanks to its advanced algorithms and AI-backed technology, what sets Community Phone apart from other spam-blocking apps is its ability to block even unknown numbers. This ensures complete safety and security while using the Community Phone app. In addition, Community Phone has many other features, such as real-time monitoring, caller name recognition, call stats tracking, and more!
Overall, Community Phone’s FREE Spam Blocking App provides an effective solution against annoying spam calls without compromising performance or reliability. Its optimized features and intuitive interface make blocking unwanted calls a breeze!
Who is Community Phone?
Community Phone is the best wireless landline service provider in the US. Their landline base works off cell towers, ensuring you don’t need the internet or copper wires to have a working landline. With strong coverage across the country, excellent call quality in rural and low-reception areas, no contracts or hidden charges, and a FREE 14-day trial, Community Phone is the landline phone without internet that you need.
With various calling features, the reliability of a landline, and the freedom of wireless access, Community Phone is quickly changing the landline landscape in the US.
The Bottom Line
Unwanted calls have been a menace and have continued growing in number post the pandemic. An average American lost approx $350 per person to phone scams in 2021. It is time to get proactive and protect yourself from unwanted calls before falling prey to scammers.
Thanks to Community Phone, you can stay protected against phone scams and stop them before your phone rings. Talk to their landline specialists at 866-937-3108 to learn more.