What is phone scamming and how do I prevent it?

Many thieves use the telephone to commit fraud. These criminals are looking from unsuspecting individuals who will give them important information, like Social Security numbers, dates of birth, credit card numbers or bank numbers. Once they have your information, they use it to make fraudulent purchases, obtain credit or to access bank accounts.

To avoid being a victim of phone solicitations, hang up:

• If you don’t know the person to whom you are talking.
• If an unknown caller asks you for your Social Security Number, credit card numbers, bank account numbers or date of birth.
• If you receive a call asking you to provide personal information to win a prize.
• If you are called and asked to verify information about your credit cards. If the caller claimed to be a bank representative, hang up and call your bank directly using a valid number from a telephone book or the bank’s website. Remember that your bank will never call you and ask for your personal information over the phone.