Cell phones are being inundated with phone scams, so we recommend blocking the following 12 that could be used against you. Well, even clicking on a malicious link can compromise your personal information and allow them to reach you without your consent.
Typically, scam messages involve texts that seem urgent, asking you to “check activity” or warning you that there has been a “large withdrawal of money” from your account or that “your card is blocked and you need to take the next steps.” But don’t worry, software company BeenVerified analyzed 150,000 user complaints to determine the 12 most used phone numbers for scams.
At the top of the list is the number 865-630-4266. That number claims that your Wells Fargo accounts are frozen and asks you to call them as soon as possible.
Here is the list of the top 12 phone scam numbers, according to BeenVerified, and the scams they are associated with:
(865) 630-4266 – Wells Fargo Text Messaging.
(469) 709-7630 – Delivery attempt failed.
(805) 637-7243 – Fake money from Publisher’s Clearing House.
(858) 605-9622 – Bank account temporarily blocked.
(863) 532-7969 – Blocked debit card scam.
(904) 495-2559/(904) 501-5027 – Winners of an AT&T giveaway.
(312) 339-1227 – Package loss.
(917) 540-7996 – “Ghostface” from Scream 6.
(347) 437-1689 – Unpaid taxes.
(301) 307-4601 – USPS.
(878) 877-1402 – Blocked card.
(202) 221-7923 – Student Loan Forgiveness.
Recommendations to avoid falling into telephone scams
“Do not click on any links they send you,” warned Erin Kemp, Consumer Advocate at BeenVerified. “Do not call any phone number they send you and do not trust the number that appears on your caller ID.”
Criminals conduct phone scams over the Internet using something called VoIP, or Voice over Internet Protocol, technology. This allows them to emulate their phone numbers with the companies’ real phone numbers.
“They can choose any area code they want when using those numbers, and it’s harder to track them than a cell phone or landline number,” Kemp warned. To protect yourself, keep these points in mind:
- Be wary of anyone who calls you to contact you from an unknown number.
- Keep an eye out for grammatical errors or misspellings in text messages.
- Don’t let yourself be pressured by anyone who tries to force you.
- You should also contact your mobile carrier to find out what protections may be available that you may not be aware of.
Finally, to avoid receiving calls from identified phone scam numbers on your iPhone or Android, you can follow these simple steps. Simply dial #662# on the keypad and tap the call icon. This will activate blocking scam calls.
If you want to check if scam call blocking is activated, dial #787# on the keypad of your iPhone or the Android phone app. This will provide you with information about the status of this feature.
In case you want to turn off blocking phone scam calls in the future, simply dial #632# on the keypad in the Phone app.
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