Scammers
12/Jan/2020
Verizon has begun to block spam calls on my phone. The calls are logged as "Missed" calls, but the phone does not even ring. The call is registered by the cell system, but it does not "ring through". This is a new feature from Verizon and it came in quite handy for me in this past week.
Over the span of two days, I received at least seven or eight calls from scammers. Each time their robot left a voice message. The robot would say: "This is Apple Suburban Square. Press 1 to speak with an Apple support advisor (etc)." A call back number was part of the recording. But, when attempting to call that number, Verizon claimed it "…could not be completed as dialed." However, the shown number traced to a legitimate Ardmore, PA, Apple Store.
Each one of these was a prime example of a scam using "caller ID spoofing". This means the phone number shown is not the real number of the person calling. None of these calls got through to me, so I did not have the pleasure of debating the scammers about the (non-existent) issue with my computer. If I had be able to take the call, the caller would no doubt have tried to scam me into allowing him or her access to my computer to make "necessary repairs"…for a cost, of course. And therein lies the rub. These calls are designed to separate you from your money!
Nothing at all about a call like this is legitimate. They are scammers. They will try to convince you that you have an issue on your computer that you need to let them fix. It is always a serious issue: You are being attacked by hackers or your data and your banking info is at risk or you have viruses!!
These calls are 100% bogus. What they say are lies. These calls are perpetrated by losers trying to use the "fear, uncertainty, and doubt" (FUD) many people have about computers and the "Internets" to trick you into paying them.
Please be aware that scammers exist out there. Anytime you are "cold-called" about your computer or your "digital life", exercise a healthy skepticism. Never let anyone you do not know remote control your computer!!
Over the span of two days, I received at least seven or eight calls from scammers. Each time their robot left a voice message. The robot would say: "This is Apple Suburban Square. Press 1 to speak with an Apple support advisor (etc)." A call back number was part of the recording. But, when attempting to call that number, Verizon claimed it "…could not be completed as dialed." However, the shown number traced to a legitimate Ardmore, PA, Apple Store.
Each one of these was a prime example of a scam using "caller ID spoofing". This means the phone number shown is not the real number of the person calling. None of these calls got through to me, so I did not have the pleasure of debating the scammers about the (non-existent) issue with my computer. If I had be able to take the call, the caller would no doubt have tried to scam me into allowing him or her access to my computer to make "necessary repairs"…for a cost, of course. And therein lies the rub. These calls are designed to separate you from your money!
Nothing at all about a call like this is legitimate. They are scammers. They will try to convince you that you have an issue on your computer that you need to let them fix. It is always a serious issue: You are being attacked by hackers or your data and your banking info is at risk or you have viruses!!
These calls are 100% bogus. What they say are lies. These calls are perpetrated by losers trying to use the "fear, uncertainty, and doubt" (FUD) many people have about computers and the "Internets" to trick you into paying them.
Please be aware that scammers exist out there. Anytime you are "cold-called" about your computer or your "digital life", exercise a healthy skepticism. Never let anyone you do not know remote control your computer!!