Up to now, RealCall weekly reports on scam calls have received attention from RealCall users carrying high alert and awareness on scam risks. This category of articles helps them identify and avoid scams by training them to think like pros. This article provides scam alerts, news, data, and forecasts corresponding to last week, from February 19 to 25.
Weekly Scam Alerts
Grandparent Scams on the Rise
Marion County Sheriff Matt Bayles said there have been several incidents of grandparent scams reported to his office recently. The scam is where someone poses as a grandchild who calls to say they are in some sort of trouble. They ask grandparents to wire money for bail or other problems using Western Union, MoneyGram, or in some cases even to mail cash.
Keep in mind:
“Grandparents are encouraged to avoid becoming a victim by asking the person to prove who they say they are, and call the child’s parents.“
Marion County Sheriff Matt Bayles
The Commonest Scam Calls
The Christiansburg Police Department (CPD) says they have received several reports stating that scam callers are attempting to extort money and gift cards. Callers are using real court addresses, names, and names of law enforcement officers, court officials, and judges to make the calls seem credible. Police warn that scammers may “spoof” numbers on the caller ID so that the call falsely appears to be from a court office or government agency.
Keep in mind:
“If you receive such calls,
- Do not provide personal information such as bank information, card numbers, etc.
- Do not buy gift cards over the phone
- Tell the person you are going to hang up and call them back at the office they are claiming to represent.”
CPD
Recent Top Suspicious Area Codes
- Area code 268 is associated with Antigua and Barbuda and is often used by crooks in scam operations.
- Area code 876, in Jamaica, is often used in lottery scams and work-from-home fraud schemes.
- Area codes 473 in Grenada, 649 in the Turks and Caicos Islands, and 284 in the British Virgin Islands are also known to be used by scammers for various kinds of fraud.
News source: https://fox8.com/news/dont-answer-calls-from-these-5-area-codes/
Weekly Blocking Data by RealCall
Number of Scam Calls Blocked by RealCall
In the past week (February 19 to 25), RealCall has blocked 246,244 suspicious calls for all users. Among all the blocked calls, 129,507 calls are blocked via RealCall Blocklist, 114,863 via RealCall VOIP number base and 1,874 via RealCall toll-free number base.
The Riskiest Days during a Week
During the latest week, scam calls come most on Tuesday when 49,300 scam calls were blocked in all, then come Wednesday (47,609 scam calls blocked) and Thursday (45,442 scam calls blocked).
So, keep on high alert for your calls and messages this week on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday! It’s worth noting that Tuesday is the first time to embrace the most scam calls’ blocking. Generally, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday are the top 3 risky days for scam calls.
Top Scam Call Type
In the latest week, grandparent scam calls are on the rise.
If you receive a call from a caller claiming to be your grandson or granddaughter, make sure the callers’ true identity is completely confirmed.
RealCall Tips to Avoid Scams
Remember the following scam-likely signs below to avoid most scams.
- If it sounds too good to be true, it often is.
- Not registered with the Attorney General’s Office
- Will NOT provide written information or references
- An investment without a risk
- Unresponsive to questions or too quick to answer by cutting you off
- Something for free
- Offer to send someone to your home or to overnight something
- Request a credit or debit card or any banking account information
- Immediate decision
- High-pressure sales or frequent calls