Phone scams come in many forms, but they tend to make similar promises and threats, or ask you to pay certain ways. Here’s what to know.
THERE IS NO PRIZE
The caller might say you were “selected” for an offer or that you’ve won a lottery. But if you have to pay to get the prize, it’s not a prize.
YOU WON’T BE ARRESTED
Scammers might pretend to be law enforcement or a federal agency. They might say you’ll be arrested, fined, or deported if you don’t pay taxes or some other debt right away. The goal is to scare you into paying. Real law enforcement and federal agencies won’t call and threaten you.
YOU DON’T NEED TO DECIDE NOW
Most honest businesses will give you time to think their offer over and get written information about it before you commit. Take your time. Don’t get pressured into making a decision on the spot.
ONLY SCAMMERS DEMAND PAYMENT TYPES
Scammers will often insist you pay in a way that makes it hard to get your money back — by wire transfer, gift card, cryptocurrency, or payment app. Anyone who insists that you can only pay that way is a scammer.
GOVERNMENT AGENCIES WON’T CALL TO CONFIRM YOUR PERSONAL (SENSITIVE) INFORMATION
No government agency is going to call you out of the blue and ask for sensitive information like your Social Security number. They’re lying if they say they’re with a government agency you know, like the Social Security Administration or IRS.
YOU SHOULDN’T BE GETTING ALL THOSE CALLS
If a company is selling something, it needs your written permission to call you with a robocall. And if you’re on the National Do Not Call Registry, you shouldn’t get live sales calls from companies you haven’t done business with before. Those calls are illegal. If someone is already breaking the law calling you, what they’re calling about is probably a scam.
From FTC, Consumer Advice