If you have ever had a strange or unfamiliar phone call on your cell phone, and you want to find out who it is, but without calling them back, you can do it with applications and websites. This is tremendously useful to easily identify spam, and not expose yourself more than necessary to possible online scams. In this article you will learn how to identify if the number that is calling you is a spam call or not.
It is true that, in most cases, if a phone number that you do not have saved calls you, it is because it is an advertising communication. But what if not? What if it’s a friend who has changed their phone or a job offer? It is on these occasions when you are interested in knowing which person or which company is behind the number that is calling you, so we are going to teach you how to find out.
Why do we receive spam calls?
In recent years, spam calls, both commercial and fraudulent, have increased greatly. Telemarketing companies and cybercriminals take advantage of our phone numbers to try to sell products, deceive us, or even steal personal data. These calls can come from companies trying to sell you something you haven’t ordered or from scammers looking to impersonate legitimate entities.
Not only do we receive dozens of phishing or spam emails daily, but also SMS messages and even calls, always trying to sell you something or scam you. The objective of these calls is to get you to hire a service, or simply to try to get your money.
Most common types of telephone scams
Most of the time, scam calls seek to obtain sensitive information such as your banking details, passwords or credit card numbers. Among the most common scams are those that impersonate banks, service companies or even raffles that you have supposedly won. These are the most common telephone scams:
- Vishing: This is a telephone scam that is based on impersonating legitimate institutions, such as banks or companies, to steal your personal information. For example, you may receive a call from someone claiming to be from your bank asking you to verify your account or PIN. Never give this information over the phone, banks do not request sensitive data like that.
- Technical support scams: Another of the most common is receiving a call from a supposed technician from companies like Microsoft who claims to have detected a problem on your computer. Their goal is to access your device and steal your data. Never allow remote access to strangers.
- Fake prize scams: You’ve probably heard that you’ve won a raffle or a prize, but to receive it they ask you to pay a small fee or give your bank details. It is a classic scam to steal money or information from you. If you have not participated in any contest, you have not won anything.
As you can see, nowadays we run quite a few risks if we pick up a call that we don’t know, and even if we know it, it could be impersonating our bank or any other company.
How to avoid falling for fraudulent calls?
Knowing how to recognize a suspicious call can save you a lot of problems. If you receive a call from an unknown number, pay attention to the following details:
- Origin of the number: If it is a foreign number that you are not expecting, it is better not to answer it.
- Urgent tone: Scams often use urgency to pressure you into acting without thinking.
- Requests for personal information: No legitimate company will ask you for sensitive information over the phone.
- Offers too good to be true: If they offer you a prize or a product at a ridiculous price, be suspicious.
Tools to identify and block spam calls
There are several applications and services that can help you filter and block unwanted calls. Below, we mention some of the most popular:
truecaller
This application allows you to identify who is calling you before answering and automatically block numbers that have been reported as spam. It works through a database that is continually updated with the experiences of other users.
Hiya
Another excellent option that, like Truecaller, alerts you to possible fraudulent calls. Hiya uses user reports to help you identify unwanted calls and block them.
Google phone
If you have an Android phone, you may already have this application that automatically detects and filters suspicious calls. Google’s database is updated with numbers reported as spam to warn you before you respond.
Spam calls are not only annoying, they can pose a great risk to your privacy and finances. It is important to always be alert and have tools that help you identify if a call is legitimate or if it is a scam attempt. Use apps to block suspicious numbers and never give out personal information over the phone to numbers you don’t know. Keeping your data secure is easier if you follow these tips.
