WFH Phone Fraud

Fraud is one area that is thriving during the COVID-19 pandemic with cell phone fraud seeing a large spike in the last week. The latest scam having Prime Minister Trudeau warn us of text scams late last week. 

Here are some tips to help you better protect yourself, and your phone: 

1. Don’t answer calls from numbers or callers you don’t recognize. If it’s important, they’ll leave a message and you can call them back. If you do answer and suspect it to be a scam, don’t press any numbers and hang up right away.

2. Verify a callback number on a company’s website before returning a call. Scammers will spoof a legitimate business number to look authentic to get you to answer, but then leave a different number when requesting a call back. This is huge red flag that you are getting a potential scam call.

3. Be suspect of anyone offering something that seems too good to be true or requires immediate action while you’re on the phone. Ask for a call back number to return the call. Very quickly, you will know if the caller is pressuring you or not.

4. Do your research on donations. If you receive a call or a text message from a charity or organization asking for donations, do your homework before donating. Plan to always donate via a verified website. Never donate directly over the phone.

5. Always be suspect of anyone who asks for immediate payment or in forms other than cash/credit card. ie Gift Cards. 

6. Never share personal information on an unexpected call from any organization. 

7. Help make your device spoof proof - Contact your cell phone provider or look for applications that will block robocalls.