What can you do if you receive a call from an unknown number and want to avoid falling into fraud

Calls from unknown numbers are a daily annoyance for many users Spaniards today. Sometimes these calls can be more than just an inconvenience, turning into an attempted fraud or even a threat to financial and personal security.

However, we are not talking about any particularity of our country: it is a general problem in the countries around us. In fact, a recent study by the Dutch Fraudehelpdesk echoes that in that country (with only 17.5 million inhabitants)…

• Last year, losses of 11 million euros were generated due to 15,000 fraudulent calls.
• Until September 2023, 5,433 cases have been reported, generating losses of 8 million euros.

So let’s review some advices on how to protect yourself from these unwanted calls and how to act against possible telephone fraud:

• Do not answer: If you receive a call from an unknown or suspicious number, avoid answering. Many times, if you answer, you will not get a response and the call will be disconnected. If you call back, you could incur higher costs.
• Verify identity: If someone poses as a representative of a trusted institution, such as a bank or government entity, hang up and look for the official number on their website. Then, call that number to confirm the authenticity of the call.
• Set a security code: With people in your close circle, establish a security code or secret question that only you know. This will help you verify the identity of the caller and avoid impersonation scams, such as the ‘son scam’.

• Block unknown numbers: If you receive constant calls from unknown foreign numbers, consider blocking them on your phone. You can also inform your service provider, as many have a system to deal with these types of calls.
• Do not share personal information: Never reveal personal information, such as account numbers or passwords, over the phone. Legitimate institutions will never request this information in this way.
• Report fraud: If you fall for a phone scam, tell your service provider. Additionally, it is important to file a report with the police so that they can investigate and take action against the scammers.

Apps to know who is calling you

If you use a mobile phone, you should know that There are apps that are useful to identify and block unwanted calls, as well as to avoid telephone harassment and telemarketing calls. Here is a summary of the mentioned applications, which you can find in the Google Play Store and/or in the App Store:

• Truecaller: This application is known for identifying calls and SMS, as well as blocking them. It uses a spam list updated by users around the world to identify unknown numbers. It requires permissions to access your contact list and offers additional features such as chat, call recording, and backups.
• Whoscall: Whoscall identifies unknown calls and blocks spam phone numbers, including telemarketing and robocalls. It does not require an internet connection and filters a large number of calls per day thanks to its extensive database.

• TrapCall: This app helps you find out who is calling you from an unknown or private number and allows you to block them. You can also send an SMS with information about the number. Offers automatic spam call blocking and incoming call recording for a monthly fee.
• Call Blocker: Call Blocker uses the database of reported numbers on ListaSpam to check if a phone number is spam. You can block previously reported numbers to avoid unwanted calls.
• Mobile Caller Location Tracker: This app allows you to track the location of incoming calls and get information about the city of origin or service company. You can block numbers once you have this information.

Image | Marcos Merino through AI

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