AARP SCAM Alert: Spoofing

Does this sound familiar?

You’re in the middle of dinner and your phone rings. Maybe the number looks familiar. Perhaps the first few digits are the same as your number. You may even be looking at your own number.

You answer the call, and on the other end is a robotic voice. You are the recipient of a robocall. And while many robocalls are made by legitimate entities looking to conduct legitimate business, it is estimated that 40% of all robocalls are fraudulent.

Illegal robocalls made by scammers often use “spoofing” technology to mask their true origin, and may change the caller ID to look similar to your own phone number. A recent AARP study showed that 59% of us are more likely to answer if the caller ID shows a local area code.

The robotic voice on the other end might claim to represent a utility, a name-brand company or a government agency, or it may offer you a free trip, cheap health insurance or a low-interest loan.

You may be prompted to press “1” to be removed from their call list.

Even just pressing a key or answering a question alerts scammers that they’ve hit on a “live” number, and your phone number will be added to even more lists that are bought and sold among criminals.

Let calls go to voicemail or your answering machine if you aren’t 100% sure who is calling you. Listen to the message, and if it’s a threat from a government agency, a utility company or some other entity, know that it is a scam.

If you do answer a suspicious robocall, once you realize it’s suspicious, hang up without engaging. If the caller claims to be from a legitimate-sounding entity, hang up and call that entity on a number you know to belong to them.

If you think you have fallen victim to any type of scam, call the AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline at 877-908-3360 for guidance and support, or visit the AARP Fraud Watch Network at http://www.aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork.