In April, 2018, Americans received an estimated 3.4 billion scam phonecalls, which was a huge increase over the previous year. Besides being a nuisance, these calls can also lead to dangers including theft, identity theft and malware. Here are some critical tips to help you limit calls while protecting your identity:
- Don’t engage with a scammer on the phone and never click on links in texts. It’s possible that a link may lead to a virus that could infect your phone. What’s more, automated calls may be programmed to sound like a real person, and they may even be able to respond to you. Just hang up the phone instead.
- Set your smart phone settings. Some phones will allow you to send unknown callers straight to voice mail through a “do not disturb” function. Contact your carrier to find out what tools they offer to combat robocalls. Finally, if you receive repeated calls or texts you may also block them individually in your phone settings.
- Sign up for the Do Not Call List. If you live in the U.S., you can register by calling 1-888-382-1222 from the phone you want to register or by visiting donotcall.gov. Make sure to register both your land line and cell phone.
- What if you still get calls? Some scam robocall offenders will ignore the Do Not Call List and may call you anyway. Unfortunately, the Do Not Call List was designed to stop unwanted sales calls. Any company or organization that you have done business with, debt collectors on your accounts, and political organizations and charities are still allowed to contact you. If you do not want to receive these calls, you must ask them to remove you from their call list.
- Report sales calls after registering for the Do Not Call List. If you continue to receive sales calls, report the company In the U.S. go to https://complaints.donotcall.gov/complaint/complaintcheck.aspxto report illegal sales calls.
- Investigate 3rd Party Apps. New apps are being created daily that may filter robocalls.Check your app store and read reviews of what’s available.
Protect Your Organization from Cyber Security Threats
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