If You Receive a Call From Your Own Number Do Not Answer

What Happens When You Answer a Call From Your Own Number

You may receive calls from similar numbers to yours, but criminals have taken it further this week. The newest trap is now a call that comes from your own number! How does the scam work?

Let me explain.

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Watch the video below to see in action the scam exposed by the colleagues at 7 News:

The trick starts with a call placed to your phone, displaying your own phone number. Upon picking up, the person at the other end recommends himself as a representative of your phone service company. “We have important news to share for your own safety,” he might say. “Your account has been hacked, and we're trying to fix it as we speak”, the scammer adds.

As many people freak out when they see their own number displayed (or simply the word “Me”), they absentmindedly provide their social insurance and telephone account numbers to the crooks.

How To Stop Getting Calls From Unknown Numbers

Here is a complete guide on how to stop robocalls.

Additionally, a few mobile apps do a good job of stopping spoofed calls. Go to the AppStore or Google Marketplace and download Mr. Number (here are the iPhone and Android apps) and TrueCaller (iPhone and Android). You'll be happy you did it.

We don't have any affiliation with these two mobile apps, so feel free to download or ignore them.

Key Takeaways:

1. Don't Answer or Return the Call Immediately:
   • Avoid answering the call right away, and do not return the call immediately, especially if it's from your own number or a very similar one. Scammers often use techniques like “spoofing” to make it seem like the call is coming from a familiar number.
2. Verify the Caller's Identity:
   • If you receive a call claiming to be from a familiar organization or person, independently verify their identity. Use official contact information, such as a known phone number from the organization's website or other trusted sources, to confirm the legitimacy of the call.
3. Be Skeptical of Urgent Requests:
   • Scammers often create a sense of urgency to manipulate individuals into providing sensitive information or taking immediate action. Be cautious if the caller pressures you to share personal information, make a payment, or perform any other action quickly.
4. Enable Call Blocking and Filtering Features:
   • Many smartphones come with built-in call blocking and filtering features. Activate these features to help screen out potential scam calls. You can also use third-party apps that specialize in identifying and blocking fraudulent calls.
5. Report Suspicious Calls:
   • If you receive a suspicious call, report it to your phone carrier and any relevant authorities. This helps contribute to the overall effort to identify and combat phone scams. Additionally, sharing information about scam calls can help protect others from falling victim to similar schemes.

How To Report A Phone Number That Keeps Calling:

Warn your family and friends know about these spam calls similar to their own numbers. Feel free to share the article if it was helpful. However, you can report scammers and any suspicious activity officially to the FTC – Federal Trade Commission (most important), the Office of the Inspector General, and the FBI Internet Complaint Center by using the pages below:

Report To The FTC
Submit Claim To The Office of the Inspector General
Report To The FBI Internet Complaints Center

How To Protect Yourself More

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Feel free to explore additional articles on phone related fraud. You can find them listed below this paragraph, so that you know more about online security. Last but not least, if you had any bad experiences, make sure to use the comments section below to expose other scammers.

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