In the past week from February 5 to 11, 2023, everything you need to know about scam calls and texts is displayed below in this article. For more reports about scam calls or texts to effectively avoid being trapped, click here.
Weekly Scam Alerts
Scam Calls Impersonating Verizon
SCSO (The Sumter County Sheriff’s Office) said area residents had reported phone calls from a recorded message claiming to be from Verizon. The message says there is an account issue or to authorize a new device and asks listeners to press ‘2.’
Keep in mind:
- Never give personal information to people attempting to contact you. Scammers may have some of your personal information and may be trying to get more.
- Verify requests for payment or money by contacting the company directly.
SCSO
CALCASIEU PARISH SHERIFF
News source: https://www.wistv.com/2023/02/10/investigators-warn-scam-calls-sumter-county/
CenterPoint Scam Call
The Evansville Police Department (EPD) says it has been brought to its attention that someone is calling local residents and posing as an employee of CenterPoint Energy. Police say the scammer seems to be targeting elderly individuals and is trying to get personal information.
Keep in mind:
“Don’t easily believe where a call really comes from and don’t give personal information via call.”
Evansville Police Department (EPD)
News source: https://www.tristatehomepage.com/news/crime/evansville-police-warn-of-centerpoint-scam-call/
Weekly Blocking Data by RealCall
Number of Scam Calls Blocked by RealCall
In the past week (February 5 to 11), RealCall has blocked 272,062 suspicious calls for all users and the number has risen by 3.31% compared with that (263,333) in the weekly report last week from January 29 to February 4. Among all the blocked calls, 139,017 calls are blocked via RealCall Blocklist (risen by 0.02% than that last week), 131,091 (risen by 7.02% than that last week) via RealCall VOIP number base, and 1,954 via RealCall toll-free number base (risen by 5.05% than that last week).
The Riskiest Days during a Week
During the latest week, scam calls come most on Friday when 52,709 scam calls (risen by 8.54% compared with that last Friday) were blocked in all, then come Thursday [51,796 scam calls blocked (risen by 6.63% compared with that last Thursday)] and Wednesday [49,921 scam calls blocked (decreased by 1.08% compared with that last Wednesday)].
So, keep on high alert for your calls and messages this week on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday!
Top Scam Call Type
In the latest week, Verizon scam calls (scammers pretend to be from Verizon and do frauds) have been the top scam call type.
The essential feature of imposter scams lies in the fact that scammers claim to come from an official organization and push victims to pay or provide personal information over calls.
For example, some scammers claim to be from Amazon customer service and tell victims about their account issues. The issues can never be solved unless they pay money.
Another example, some scammers claim to be from law departments or sheriff’s offices and threaten victims with fake criminal responsibility.
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