In the past week from January 22 to January 28, 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
Robertsdale Police Warning of Phone Scam
The victims said they received a call from someone who claims to be an officer with the police department who requests payment for a warrant and threatens arrest.
Keep in mind:
“The Robertsdale Police Department will NEVER demand payment over the phone. These callers are trying to defraud you of your money. Do not send money or provide the caller with any personal information about yourself. Simply terminate the call.”
ROBERTSDALE POLICE DEPARTMENT
News source: https://www.wkrg.com/baldwin-county/robertsdale-police-warning-of-phone-scam/
KSP Warning of Scam Callers Claiming to be with a Law Enforcement Agency
Kentucky State Police in Henderson has documented a complaint of a scammer stating he is with a law enforcement agency. The scammer goes through a series of routine sounding questions all in an effort to gain personal information (credit, bankcard information, etc.). At some point in the conversation, he requests the person to send in a fee for various law enforcement services.
Keep in mind:
“Law enforcement agencies will NOT ask anyone for banking or personal information, ask to send money, or make threats of arrest. Of course, you may also contact the stated agency yourself if you are in any doubt.”
KENTUCKY STATE POLICE
News source: https://kentuckystatepolice.org/p16-1-30-2023/
NorthWestern Energy Scam Call Warning
Scammers impersonating NorthWestern Energy representatives have targeted customers in South Dakota, Nebraska, and Montana through calls and text messages, attempting to steal money by threatening immediate service disconnection. The scammers use the company’s logo in text and other electronic messages and mimic NorthWestern Energy’s phone greeting.
Keep in mind:
“NorthWestern Energy warns customers that they will never demand immediate payment or a specific payment type, such as a prepaid card, or at kiosk machines that accept cash payments, such as bitcoin ATMs. NorthWestern Energy also does not use QR codes to request or process payments. Customers receive multiple disconnection notices before service is shut off and are offered several bill payment options.”
NORTHWESTERN ENERGY
Weekly Blocking Data by RealCall
Number of Scam Calls Blocked by RealCall
In the past week, RealCall has blocked 264,975 suspicious calls for all users. Among all the blocked calls, 141,821 calls are blocked via RealCall Blocklist, 121,262 via RealCall VOIP number base, and 1,892 via RealCall toll-free number base.
Compared with those last week, the overall suspicious calls that have been blocked by RealCall have increased by 10.12%, from 240,626 (Jan. 15 to Jan. 21, 2023) to 264,975 (Jan. 22 to Jan. 28, 2023).
The Riskiest Days during a Week
During the latest week, scam calls come most on Friday when 52,722 scam calls were blocked in all, then come Thursday (50,229 scam calls blocked) and Wednesday (49,561 scam calls blocked). So, stay on top alert this week on Friday!
Top Scam Call Type
In the latest week, IMPOSTER SCAMS 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