What You Need To Know About Telephone Frauds

Today, business world and even the private citizen's world are not uncommon to come across frauds. No matter how one tries to protect oneself and their business, one can be a possible victim to fraudsters who seem to almost always plan one step ahead. It can be frustrating and scary but you need to be ready at all times to deal with these frauds.

There are fraudulent service agencies that can help you. Regarding telephone scams, the FTC has strategies to help the victim investigate the fraudulent activity, Better, it has means of helping you get protected by providing useful information and support when you get caught in the fraud. However, the agency is more concerned on how to disseminate information to more people so that they are aware of what's going on concerning telephone fraud.

Telephone fraud is a fact. It is not  a tell-tale story to frighten or scare people. It does happen and these criminals steal more than millions of dollars each year from their victims. Many identities are stolen as well. It is how wide and rampant it is. Most victims do not report what happened to them for the fear of being ridiculed of being outsmarted.

It is crucial that you tell your trusted family members and friends about it when you receive fraudulent calls. There is nothing to be ashamed of when you are the victim. It is not your fault. You did not invite these fraudsters to come near you.

Do what you need to do.

1. Register your phone at the Do Not Call Registry.
2. Drop unsolicited calls and telemarketing calls.
3. Never give your personal data to anyone.
4. Always keep your guards up.
5. Help spreading helpful information about fraudulent calls.
6. Always verify callers' identity and the phone numbers they are using when calling you via reverse phone lookup.
7. As much as possible, do transactions with trusted and reliable offices and representatives.
8. Share your experiences to trusted family members and friends. Think of them as people who can help you.
9. Report to the police and the FTC any malicious calls.
10. Trust your instinct at all times. Never let your guards down. Of all people, you yourself can help "you" the best.

You can prevent yourself from being victimized by fraudulent calls. You just have to equip yourself and stay at the safe zone at all times. Keep up with the latest news and the latest reports. Know what to do best during these situations and believe that you have the power to protect yourself and your family against these criminals when you do the right things.

Scholarship Grants

My brother wanted to apply for a scholarship grant abroad. He wanted to pursue his Master of Science in Economics. He searched from the internet and asked his friends for a possible scholarship grant or assistantship. The application for a scholarship grant offerings are mainly for schools in the United Kingdom. Well it is not that easy. The requirements he has to produce ranges from simple Transcript of Records to passing in a language qualifying exam.

It took him almost a year to receive a reply from the many scholarship providers he applied.  They required him to immediately reply if he is interested for the grant. A decision should be made immediately but carefully as well. He has to verify if the scholarship grant is really true. A right decision should be made because accepting the grant will entail another expense for getting a passport and for the processing of visa. Good thing there is a way to check if the grant provider is genuine.  Good thing the reply letter of the scholarship provider has their office phone number. My excited brother consulted Verifyphone.com to prove if the phone number is true. 

Verifying phone numbers is a great way of protecting yourself from fraud and spam. Using it to keep safe is a wise advice and thing to do. I have used phone verification in many ways and found my self safer doing so. I was not victimized by any spammer when I checked on the phone numbers that called me. I also look for latest information on how to protect myself and my family from telephone scams. 

Verify Phone Numbers of Support Groups Asking for Donations

Various support groups for different medical, psychological, environmental, and other advocacy are increasing in number these days. This is good because the victims and their families need lots of the support and help they can get. During testing times like these, concerned people willing to give their services, financial support, and prayers are the best gifts they can receive.

However, despite the many good people with pure intentions, it is a sad fact that there are bad people who uses this charity to fool those willing to help. They call and ask for donations for a bogus support group or organization. Pity that many get victimized. Should you receive a call like this one, make sure that you verify the phone number that called you. Do a phone reverse lookup to make sure that the person calling really represents the organization. Do not give any donation to this caller. Tell the caller that you will give the donation directly to their office. You will feel whether he is spamming you when he sounds like he is starting to really convince you so hard to give the donation money right away. Be aware of the caller's voice, reactions, and tone.

Being alert at all times is good especially when you are receiving unsolicited calls. It is always nice to help but make sure you it properly and to the right people.

Verify Phone Numbers of Apple Mac Dealers

People love gadgets. Today, everywhere you look, it seems like everybody's busy with their own cellular phones, tablets, notebooks, laptops, and any latest gadget available in the market. With these gadgets come every available cool accessories. Many people are dreading to know what's the latest and in. One of the most popular gadget provider is Apple. The Apple Macintosh has been well-known especially to tech geeks and young professionals.  It has been a favorite for many.

Since buying a gadget is a hot market, it is also a favorite product to promote not only in television but in billboards, magazines, and other print ads. Another way of promoting it is via telephone marketing. Here's the catch. A telemarketer will call you asking you if you could join the survey the company is currently conducting about the Apple Macintosh. If you take the time to join in the survey, you can have a chance to win the latest Apple Mac that will come out soon. Of course, you get excited and agrees to join.

What happens next is the caller asking you some questions from the "survey". After about 5 or more questions, he will ask for your personal data. He will tell you that he needs the data to support your taking part in the survey. He will stress that this data will also be used in choosing for the winner of the brand new and latest Apple Mac. This is the part of the spam where you are being victimized for identity theft.

The first thing you should first do in these instances is to verify the phone number calling you. Do a reverse phone lookup to check if the call is really from the company the caller he is representing. After that, make sure that the company is really conducting a telemarketing promotion or a phone survey. Assess the legitimacy of the call.

Remember that any unsolicited call should be considered as a spam. Because of this, you should be careful in dealing with them. One more thing, make sure that you do not entertain it and most importantly, you do not give out any personal information about yourself. Be vigilant and keep your guards up at all times.

How Not To Get Your Identity Stolen

Let me give you instances when persons get their identities stolen via unwanted telephone calls:

1. The call is unsolicited. Drop it.

2. The telemarketer always try to persuade you to give your personal numbers whenever he got a chance. In fact, all through out the conversation, it is what he keeps on trying to do.

3. The caller offers too-good-to-be-true offers.

4. The caller will identify himself as a distant relative, a long lost friend or neighbor, or someone who is in dire need, a situation that he makes sound like a matter of life and death.

5. The caller tries to touch your soft spot by asking donations or help for the most unfortunate people in the most desperate situations.

Those are actually just some of the tactics spammers use to steal your identity and money. There are still other ways/reasons. So, what do you do?

1. Again, as mentioned, drop the call.

2. Ask lots of questions. The caller will drop the call when you bombard him with relevant questions. Make him feel that you are in control of the conversation. Stay cool and calm. Be alert and on your guard.

3. Never ever give out any personal number or data about you. Never pay for anything. Never get threatened.

4. Share the incident to your family, trusted friends, and proper authorities.

5. Keep on updating yourself about situations like this and learn how to effectively deal with spams.

Always keep yourself safe.

Verify Phone Numbers of Police Officers

One more spam going around concerning telephone scams resulting in identity thefts is a telemarketer pretending to be a police officer. The caller creates fear in the recipient by telling the unsuspecting victim that he is being connected to one crime or offense. He will be asked for his personal data for identification or verification, the caller will say. He will be threatened for further offense if he will not give the details he asked for. At the end, the poor victim will find himself with debts he did not make because his name was used to make loans already.

In such cases, better check the phone number that called you. Do not get intimidated.  Find out to whom the phone number belongs to and from where the call the placed by using the phone lookup reverse. If the phone number is legitimate, you can contact them at their office for mored details. But if it is  scam, remember, you have agencies backing you up in this circumstance like the FTC. No one is spared from such calls, but you have the ways not to get victimized. One is to register your phone to National Do Not Call Registry. Another is to keep yourself informed and updated of the many phone scams going around and equip yourself with the proper means of dealing with phone scams.

It is sad that even the guardians of safety and security of the community are being used for crimes like these. The best thing you can do is to be aware and guarded at all times. See the things at all perspectives meaning that even if the caller introduced himself as a police officer, do not readily jump into any conclusions and decide on anything. Never panic because you might end up acting on things that might bring you more trouble instead of protecting you against it.

Verify Phone Numbers of Government Offices

Being part of a community might entail you to get invited to community gatherings or projects. This is a great opportunity to be involved. You must remember though that there are protocols that government offices follow for community projects and events. You have to be well-informed about these protocols so that you know when one invitation is real or a spam.

Usually, these offices have accredited persons and means of promoting and organizing their events. They do not usually dwell into representatives calling you. However, there are telephone spammers who will still use these government agencies as a way of going though you. They will try to steal your identity and steal money from you. Your shield is when you know the protocols of these government agencies so you wont be mislead. Always ask for a call back number. Reverse lookup the phone number you got the call from or find the phone number of the government agency the caller claimed to be calling from. Call them to know if they the call you got was legit or not.

In dealing with all these telephone scam, there is no better way to protect yourself than being well-informed and updated. If you have knowledge about these things, the caller will not be able to just convince you of anything. You will also know how to deal properly with these callers. Also, you will know the best steps to take if you get these calls to protect yourself and your family. Sharing what you know can help others so share the information to as many people as you know.

Verify Phone Numbers of Insurance Agents

It is common for insurance agents to visit you and give you a call. What is not usual is when someone calls you to say that he is the new insurance agent assigned to you. But I do not really understand why people buy this. I think it is because these people are professional criminals who have smooth tongue and strong convincing powers. They are able to persuade people to believe what they are saying, without any real effort on their part at all.

That may sound scary. But it does happen. And it has victimized too many private citizens already. It has pocketed millions of dollars from these people as well. Here is a guiding principle: when an insurance agent resigned from the insurance company or that he is in a state when he is not connected to the company anymore, the company will surely inform you via a formal notice that your agent is not connected with them anymore. You will also be informed about the new agent assigned to your account.

But what you need to do when you still receive such calls is to get the phone number of the caller and do  number lookup to verify the details about the caller. Do not give out any personal number or pay anything through that caller.

Make it a habit to update yourself with the things going on at your respective insurance company, your bank, and your investment institution. This can help you guard your money and investments better. Always be safe.

Verifying Phone Numbers of Car Dealers

There are instances when buying a car is indeed cheaper when bought form a car dealer than buying from a car company's showroom. A car dealer can even offer freebies with your purchase. You also get your hands to offers that are not usually seen or offered in regular showrooms. Those are just some of the perks of checking out car offers by a car dealer. There are actually lots more.

When you receive calls from supposed car dealers, be very careful. Especially if the call was unsolicited, never entertain such callers. They might trick you into buying cars that you wont ever get your hands on even when you pay for them. Never give any personal number either. These callers are professional criminals who are trying to steal your identity and make loans using your name.

What you need to do when you get a call like this is to drop the call altogether. If you got stuck with the conversation, have presence of mind, and instead of letting the caller asking you lots of questions, be alert and be the one to ask him endless questions until he wont be able to give any sensible answer to you. Get the number that called you and get sufficient details so you can make the decision. Report the incident promptly.

You should also involve your family by informing them about the call. Share the word to others so that more people are aware that such scams are happening and that everyone should be warned about it so necessary precautionary measures may be taken. Be careful with unsolicited calls. They are rampant today victimizing many private persons and pocketing millions of dollars. Never let your guards down.

Latest News About Telephone Scams

I have been a reading a lot of news lately about scams going around the globe today. It is not just telephone or internet scams. I am surprised and frustrated that there are scams happening in the world today even at close and personal encounters. Some are even what they call reverse scams. I read it happened in China when an old lady hurt herself while riding a bus and a good man helped her, took her to the hospital, and even gave her money. The old lady later claimed that the man was the one who caused her to fall while riding up the bus. Is it not frustrating that there are still people who cares for others yet they become victimized by those who never care at all?

So, scams, frauds, and spams are around for a long while now. Many people got themselves tricked into it and got their wallets burned and hurt their fingers. One thing that we can still do to help fight it is to continuously spreed the word about it. It does exist. It really victimized people. It really hurts identities and finances. It really hurts people's confidence in themselves because they got tricked and felt they were dumb and idiots. Spread the word. People should know. People should be warned. People should be updated and informed on what is happening and what they can do to prevent it.

For telephone scams, one site that can help to provide caller's identity is VerifyPhone.com. It can help you get the details about the caller and these details are the things you can use to report the call to the FTC and the police. From reporting, you can seek their help in pursuing the caller. They are guarding such criminals and they are giving every help they can give to support the victims fight the crimes.

It is not a helpless case, or even if it looks like, we can do something to fight it. Keep your guards up and keep yourself safe. Get informed and inform. There are agencies who can help you. Seek help and do not keep the incident to yourself. You are the victim here and not the criminal so there is nothing to be ashamed of. You have all the right to fight and get justice for what has happened to you. You did not like that to happen and no one would like that to happen to himself. The guilty ones are the criminals so they are the ones who are supposed to be ashamed of what they did. Get out there and stand for your right.

Verify Phone Number of New Year Opportunists

The excitement of the New Year does not only entail good opportunities, but of criminals who are taking the chance to cheat and victimize people who are in the mood for a positive and vibrant spirit for the coming year. We are all mostly positive and hopeful for the things to come during this  new year. We plan and make resolutions, we dream of a better year ahead. We prepare for the coming year with gusto and much enthusiasm. However, sometimes, these feelings are the ones used by the "bad" opportunists. They use these emotions to fool people and trick them into promising unreal getting wealthy opportunities. Sadly, there are people, who because of these "overwhelming" emotions of hope that new year brings, just jump into the offers without putting much thought into what is offered to them.

Since the criminals are smooth talkers, they will call you and promise you new year opportunities that can earn you lots of money. Some of these are work and businesses from home opportunities. The caller asks for a small amount of investment promising big returns. When the victims bites the bait, he or she will certainly lose the money. At first, the victim is not aware of what is really going on. When he or she pays, the positive feelings of getting rich this year because of this offered business is so crisp and fresh to her that it will take a while before the reality sets in that he or she was actually scammed.

When you get calls from unknown persons offering business opportunities, hang up immediately. If you have been caught on the line already, be alert and have the presence of mind not to dish out any personal number. Get the phone number that called you and verify it via VerifyPhone.com. The site can help you get the information about the number. Share the incident to your family and friends. Report it the police as well. Inform FTC of what transpired and seek advice and help from them.

It is good to have an enthusiastic and positive attitude towards the new year. But being safe and keeping your guards up to the opportunities that knocks on your door or rings your phone should not be entertained. There are lots of great opportunities that are legal and genuine out there. Ask from trusted people and investigate well before investing on anything.

Verify Phone Numbers of Stock Brokerage Firms

During New Year, investors tend to buy stocks and add to their investments. New year is a time to increase stocks and shares, they suggest. The connotation is based on the belief that starting the year right will make the whole year better. Thereby, investing, making resolutions, planning businesses, and creating new networks are some of the important things that business-minded people consider prioritizing.

However, those who are not well-versed on such things can be swayed easily with sweet tongues and those who are proficient in making people believe in nuisance. It is unfortunate that people who wishes to invest becomes victims of frauds and scams. If you happen to receive calls offering good deals in stock marketing, think many times before diving in. Verify the phone number of the person calling you via verifyphone.com. Get the pertinent details and report promptly to the police. Stock brokerage firms do not call to offer services for free or for best deals offers. They legally and usually should be honest in telling the risks involved in stock market investing so they wont sweet-talk you into investing and promising huge returns. Be careful.

If you really are interested in investing in the stock market, go to your banks and ask or to a legitimate stock brokerage farm and ask from them. Go to the right people and educate yourself about such matters. Do not just believe any offers made to you. Always keep your guards up.

Legal Advisers Scam

The increasing numbers of scams and spams are disturbing. The criminals really have their minds working and are consistently honing their skills to cheat people and get their hard-earned money. It is a must that private citizens and agencies concerned in fighting these scams and spams do their homework and continuously do their creative plans to fight and stop these criminals. While the criminals are busy cooking up new plots and schemes to squeeze out money from private citizens, guardians of anti-spam and anti-scam should do the same as well, and even more.

A new recipe of these criminals is the use of legal advisers. What's funny (if it is), is that they are the ones who will call you and threat you with crimes they said you committed like unpaid credit card bills or phone bills. Of course, they are just bluffing. But when they hit a victim who does have an unsettled account, that is when the threat starts that the victim should pay for the balance plus the incurred charges or he/she will get imprisoned. Now, this is one shot hitting two birds.

The second shot is this. You get another call. This time from a person who claims to provide legal help and advice. Isn't it a coincidence? But because your mind is already hitting bottom because of the threats you get from the phone calls, you find it hard to think clearly. So you get the legal services and pay for it, too, for nothing. And at the end, you pay the balance and the charges as well.

Very criminally-minded, right? The sad part is that people fall for these scams. And year after year, millions of dollars are being put into these money laundering scams. And even though words are being spread out to create awareness, still, more people are being victimized.

If you happen to get a call like this, remember to keep your guards up. Do not easily get swayed by the threats and smooth tongues of these criminals. Open the situation to your family and friends because they are the ones you can trust the most at this time. Get the phone number of the person calling you  and find out about the whereabouts of the caller.

Keep the fight against these criminals by reporting such phone numbers and incidents. Be safe and keep yourself aware of ongoing incidents of this kind. Share the story to others to help more people be informed of what is best to do when they are faced with such conditions. Always remember that you do not have anything to be ashamed of if you get victimized and that you have an important role to play to stop and prevent these crimes from happening all over again.

What to do in Case of Identity Theft

Since there are many unsolicited calls happening everyday, risk is too great that you might have had given your personal number to one of them. In such case, worrying and fretting about it won't do you no good anymore. You need to have a back up plan when such circumstance happened to you.

Here is what you need to do in case you think or if your identity have been stolen:

1. Log all the phone conversations you have had with the criminal including date, time, phone number, and all details about the call. To verify the phone number of the caller, do a phone lookup reverse to identify the caller's identity and where abouts.

2. Contact your bank immediately and report the incident.Close accounts that you think numbers have been stolen.

3. File a police report.

4. File a report to FTC. FTC will also guide and help you on what steps to do next.

5. Contact the fraud departments of major credit bureaus. Provide affidavits and requests to them to inform credit agencies to contact you before opening new credit accounts to your name, or in making any changes r adjustments to your existing credit accounts.

6. Inform your state attorney general of the fraud and scam.

7. Get new identity documents.

8. Never communicate with the scammers. They are criminals and they are definitely not safe to deal or talk with.

9. Keep yourself posted about new scams and frauds going on so you can always stay alert and aware of possible recurrence of identity theft and scams coming your way.

Through all these, remember that being safe and alert can help you in this situation. Help by spreading the words as well.

TV Game Show Contestant Spam (Cash Theft)

With TV game shows fast gaining popularity, people are so interested to be able to join one. If you see the long lines of people going to auditions to be able to join the game shows, you can conclude that lots of people are grabbing any chance they can to earn money.

This is what criminals also think. And because the somehow desperation is there, the scammers know exactly how to get the victims into the hook. The caller will call you to tell you that you can join the contest and that you just need to pay a small fee for registration as a contestant. And because you know that falling in the auditions line gives you a small chance to be able to join, paying a small fee would be worth it if you are able to join the game and win huge amounts of prizes so you just readily pay it via your credit card.

If you get this kind of call, think a lot. The TV game shows tell the audience how they can join, stick to what the show is telling and do not believe callers who claim that they work for that TV game show. Keep your guards up. Verify the phone number via verifyphone.com and get the details you need about the caller. Report it to FTC and the police. Be vigilant and do not get caught off-guard.

Share this story to others as well to make more people informed that such crimes happen. Be informed and protected. Joining TV game shows can be good vehicle to earning money, but you need to be careful and smart when you decide to take part in one.

The Think Green Project Scam

Now, even environmentalists are being used as an excuse to victimize private citizens. The noble intentions of saving the earth are also being used for personal and selfish gains. In this time when the world’s citizen should be more concerned with saving the earth from its destruction, here are criminals who are taking advantage of this concern.

As it with other telephone scams, the caller will call as a representative of an organization concerned with saving the environment. The person will introduce the organization and the projects they are doing and will ask for donations. Donations are asked to be wired or deposited in a bank account. As long as the poor victim is clueless on what is going on, the criminals will keep on getting money from him or her especially if the caller sees how generous the victim in causes for saving the earth.

Many had been victimized by this kind of scam. The elderly are mostly at risk. Tons of money had been gained by these criminals using this scam. It is time to put an end to this vicious act. When you receive this kind of call, be vigilant to investigate about the caller and the organization he or she represents before doling out your money. Verify the phone number of the caller and get all the necessary details about him or her via Verifyphone.com. The site is easy to use and provides information confidentially so you need not be afraid of being identified by the criminals. FTC and the police are supportive in helping solve cases like these.

Keep spreading the word about such phone and internet scams. Be vigilant and keep your guards up. There is no other sure way of preventing scams form happening but by being safe and alert.