Telemarketing scams are becoming increasingly prevalent and sophisticated. Common telemarketing scams include fake offers of free products or services, impostor calls impersonating representatives from government agencies or companies, and fraudulent sweepstakes or lotteries.
Recognizing the signs of a telemarketing scam is essential to protect yourself, your family, and your finances. This article provides information on common telemarketing scams and how to stop them.
Common Telemarketing Scams
Americans lost a total of $39 billion to phone scams in 2022. With phone scams increasing yearly, these are some scams you should be aware of to protect yourself and your loved ones.
1. IRS Scam
Criminals impersonate representatives from the IRS to solicit payments for back taxes or penalties. If you get a threatening call from the IRS and don't owe money to the government, hang up immediately and report the caller.
2. The Grandparent Scam
This scam targets seniors specifically. A scammer will claim to be a grandchild who needs money for bail, hospital bills, or some other emergency. To protect yourself from this scam, never send money to the person claiming to be your grandchild without verifying their identity.
3. Government Impersonation Scams
In this scam, a caller claims to be from an official government agency and demands payment for services or penalties. Scammers target seniors to extract personal bank details or other information from them.
Be wary of such callers and never provide your information, such as bank details, passwords, or Social Security Number, over the phone.
4. Investment Scams
In this scam, a caller offers a "too good to be true" return on investment. Be wary of any offer that promises high returns with no risk. There are no investments without risk. Do your due diligence before you invest in any scheme.
5. Lottery Scams
In this popular scam, a caller claims you've won a prize in a lottery or sweepstakes but needs your banking information to process the winnings. It's important to remember that real lotteries never call people to inform them they've won; they will mail out notification letters.
6. Health Insurance Scams
In this scam, a caller pressures seniors over 65 to buy insurance coverage or prescription drugs. Hang up the call immediately and research before signing up for any health services.
7. Fake Accident Scam
A scammer will pretend that your loved one is in an accident and they need money urgently to handle the emergency. They will not give you time to think and pressure you to help immediately.
8. Technical support Scams
Be wary of callers offering to help you fix your computer for a fee, as this is a scam. Be aware that real tech support does not call people out of the blue and ask them to pay for services. Sometimes callers could also plant some malware into your computer or access personal details from your computer.
9. Fake charity scams
In this scam, a caller solicits donations for a fake charity. Research the charitable organization before donating to any charity to protect yourself from fraud.
10. Bank Fraud Calls
In this scam, a caller claims to be from your bank and asks for banking information. Never disclose personal information over the phone unless you've verified the caller's identity.
5 Ways to Stop Telemarketing Spam Calls
Here are 5 ways to stop telemarketing spam calls
1. 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!
What Makes Community Phone the Best Spam Call Blocker?
Here are some reasons that make Community Phone the best spam call blocker
1. Excellent track record: The Community Phone robocall blocker has successfully protected individuals and businesses from spam calls. Read customer testimonies on Trustpilot to learn about the effectiveness and efficiency of the service.
2. Blocks 99% of spam and robocalls on landlines: The Community Phone spam-blocker flags and blocks 99% of spam and robocalls before your phone rings, offering you ultimate protection against spam. Talk to their specialist to learn more!
3. FREE spam call blocker for iPhone: You can download the Community Phone spam blocker for FREE from the Apple store to enjoy ultimate protection against spam calls and texts.
Benefits of Choosing the Community Phone Spam Blocker
Here are some benefits of choosing the Community Phone spam-blocker services:
1. Better Security
The Community Phone built-in spam blocker for iPhones scans, flags, and blocks spam calls or texts before your phone rings, protecting you from scams and fraud.
2. Great Advantage for Seniors
The Safelist can ensure seniors are not troubled by scammers calling from unknown or unidentified numbers. The person who controls the Community Phone user account can pre-approve numbers from which the senior would like to receive calls. The spam blocker service will only allow calls from pre-approved numbers and block all other calls.
3. Take Control of Your Protection
You can update the Safelist or the Allowed list at any time to add or delete numbers. This feature prevents you from engaging scammers and ensures peace and protection against scams and fraud.
4. Effective Where the "Do Not Call" List Fails
The Do Not Call list is not effective against scammers. To prevent scam calls and to protect yourself from fraud, sign up for the Community Phone spam-blocker services for your landline or download their app for iPhone now.
2. Use Built-in Phone Features
iPhone
You can block scam calls manually on your iPhone by following these steps:
- Open the Phone App
- Tap > Recent
- Locate the number you want to block
- Tap the info icon
- Scroll to the bottom
- Tap block this caller
- Tap Confirm
Android Devices
You can block scam calls manually on your Android Phone by following these steps:
- Open the Phone App
- Tap more
- Access Call History
- Tap the number/name you want to block
- Tap Block/Report Spam
3. Register On the Do Not Call Registry
Register on the National "Do Not Call" Registry to filter out maximum telemarketing calls. However, registering in the NDNC does not stop calls from scammers or a couple of other companies.
While this may be a good option, it is not a foolproof solution. To stop spam calls permanently, you should get the Community Phone spam blocking app for iPhones or spam blocker services for landlines.
4. Don't Share Your Personal Number Publicly
Not sharing your number in public domains would be a great idea to ensure privacy. You can get a second business line for your cell phone to separate work and personal life. Talk to a Community Phone business specialist to get a second business line.
5. Report Spam Calls to Federal Trade Commission
If you suspect a caller is a scammer, disconnect the call immediately and report them to the FTC at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/.
FAQs
How do you know if a text message is legit?
A legitimate text message will not threaten you or pressure you to take immediate action by clicking a link. Legitimate companies will also not ask you to share personal information like passwords, access codes, bank details, etc. If you receive a text that asks you to click a link or share personal information, delete the message, block the sender and report them immediately.
How do I stop telemarketing spam calls?
1. Download Community Phone spam-call blocker on your iPhone
2. Register yourself on the National Do Not Call List
Conclusion
With scam calls increasing yearly, protecting yourself from scams could be challenging. Use the information in the article to protect yourself and your finances from fraud. If you receive a suspicious call, never share information, and immediately report the caller to the authorities.
Get the Community Phone spam blocker for landlines and the app from the Apple store for iPhones to ensure the best protection against spam. The spam blocker can block close to 99% of spam calls, ensuring you do not fall prey to telemarketing scams. Talk to their specialist to learn more!