Security warning: Scammers are calling you with holiday tactics
‘Tis the season for eggnog, twinkly lights and a whole lot of scams. Cybercriminals make a killing over the holiday season — just think about how often we pull out our credit cards.
The best way to stay safe is to know their tricks. I’ve got the inside scoop on phone scams tricking people out of money and info right now.
Here’s how it works
YouMail issued an important warning about a new wave of robocalls pretending to be from big names like Amazon, Apple, Visa and Chase Bank. They’re trying to freak you out about bogus purchases and get you to spill personal info.
You get a call that sounds like it’s from Amazon. A robotic voice says something like, “Hello, this is an automated message from Amazon. Your card has been charged $2,253 for the purchase of an Apple MacBook Pro with Order ID #312106. If you did not place this order and would like to speak to one of our representatives, please press ‘1’ or please call back.”
If you fall for it, scammers try to hijack your credit card, Amazon or bank account to steal as much money as possible.
Amazon’s been battling this, shutting down 15,000 phone numbers! But the calls keep coming — and given how many of us use Amazon, odds are they’ll hit an actual customer.
Pro tip: If you want to talk to a real person at Amazon, don’t Google the number. Odds are, it’ll be a scam. Here’s the hard-to-find phone number to call Amazon’s customer service: 1-888-280-4331.
It’s not just Amazon
Scammers also pretend to be from subscription services like Norton LifeLock or McAfee, talking about pricey renewals. Here’s one example: “If you have not authorized this charge, you have 48 hours to cancel and get an instant refund of your annual subscription. Please press ‘1’ or call our Customer Care.”
They mix these calls with emails, leading to different callback numbers they change regularly. It’s like a game of scam whack-a-mole.
They’re pretending to be your bank, too
Robocalls are about to get a lot worse - here's why
What’s your share of the over 58.5 billion robocalls received across the U.S. in 2019? Depending on where you live, you averaged 13-18 calls per month.
The sad news is those figures have continued to climb over the last few years, with the number of robocalls in 2019 almost 20% higher than the 47.8 billion received in 2018 and 48% over those in 2017. Tap or click to discover how some consumers are fighting back.
Americans received a shocking number of robocalls last year - how to stop them
Robocalls have long since been a plague for Americans, but it reached a whole new level in 2019. It got so bad even wireless carriers and the U.S. government reached a breaking point.
But even with new tools and a law that gives the FCC more power to combat the calls, they just keep coming. Tap or click here to learn more about the TRACED Act that was recently signed into law.