Stop me if you've heard this before: the phone starts to ring just around dinnertime. You answer and, almost immediately, an offer is thrown in your face. The person on the other line makes it sound as enticing as possible, even if you are skeptical about what you'll actually get. Believe it or not, a phone call can become one of the major platforms of fraud, as Whistleblowers Against Fraud will tell you. In order to avoid this, though, a certain level of etiquette must be set in place.
First of all, make note of whether or not they ask you for your credit card information. One of the biggest ways in which individuals can scam others is when they have access to the credit information that they do not possess. It's one of the first steps to make note of, as I am sure Whistleblowers Against Fraud will attest to. In fact, I am sure that authorities the likes of W-A-F will stress users to keep such information themselves, for the sake of protecting their bank accounts.
Perhaps this type of fraud will come in the form of a fundraiser. It's easier for donations to be requested and the reason for this is because they are better able to appeal to our sense of empathy. If the charity itself is a legitimate one, you may ask for a website URL to look into later; the individual over the phone will be able to supply you with said URL. Seeing as how no fundraiser is done by the phone alone, this is another vital point to take into account.
One of the most common types of phone scams are those which I call, "work-at-home." Seeing as how the idea of working at home is one that is attractive, wouldn't you want to get on-board with this idea? The problem with this, though, is that there are many times when an investment is put forth and there is no payoff. It's best to avoid these types of automated messages because, more often than not, they are scams you'd be better off forgetting ever existed.
Telephone calls, when unsolicited, can lead you in the direction of fraud that you do not want. Your information may be compromised; at the very least, you will wind up losing money you could have spent on what you are actually responsible for. A certain level of care must be taken, in this regard, and I am sure that Whistleblowers Against Fraud will be able to agree. Keep this in mind and your phone calls will possess far less risk on your end.
First of all, make note of whether or not they ask you for your credit card information. One of the biggest ways in which individuals can scam others is when they have access to the credit information that they do not possess. It's one of the first steps to make note of, as I am sure Whistleblowers Against Fraud will attest to. In fact, I am sure that authorities the likes of W-A-F will stress users to keep such information themselves, for the sake of protecting their bank accounts.
Perhaps this type of fraud will come in the form of a fundraiser. It's easier for donations to be requested and the reason for this is because they are better able to appeal to our sense of empathy. If the charity itself is a legitimate one, you may ask for a website URL to look into later; the individual over the phone will be able to supply you with said URL. Seeing as how no fundraiser is done by the phone alone, this is another vital point to take into account.
One of the most common types of phone scams are those which I call, "work-at-home." Seeing as how the idea of working at home is one that is attractive, wouldn't you want to get on-board with this idea? The problem with this, though, is that there are many times when an investment is put forth and there is no payoff. It's best to avoid these types of automated messages because, more often than not, they are scams you'd be better off forgetting ever existed.
Telephone calls, when unsolicited, can lead you in the direction of fraud that you do not want. Your information may be compromised; at the very least, you will wind up losing money you could have spent on what you are actually responsible for. A certain level of care must be taken, in this regard, and I am sure that Whistleblowers Against Fraud will be able to agree. Keep this in mind and your phone calls will possess far less risk on your end.
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