The last two weeks, we covered how scammers call pretending to be government officials in an effort to get your information, then we covered how scammers spoof using other people’s numbers to scam you. (Once again – DO NOT CALL THESE BACK ON YOUR PHONE! If you are curious, PLEASE use an internet phone that isn’t connected to your data such as POP-TOX, and for an extra layer of protection, use an incognito browser or BETTER YET – a VPN.)
So this week, I’d like to tackle another tactic used by scammers – An automated voice enticing you to press numbers to remove yourself from further scams….Is it just me or does this sound to good to be true? That’s because according to a former telephone researcher and call center employee, it probably is!
Several different “codes” can be applied to numbers in this system, letting employees (or more often, computers) know what to expect. These numbered codes (generally 1-9) are associated with things like interest level, and how aggressively the person reacts to a pitch. The number 9 is generally associated with the option “Do Not Call”. In the case of robocalls, the assumption is that by entering a number on the keypad, you are accessing a rotary version of this coding system.
Original Source
So now what?! This was such a beautiful idea, to have myself added to the no call list! Sadly, there is no true ‘Do Not Call’ list for scammers, but if you want to limit the amount of calls as per this individual quoted above, you can do 2 things:
- Add yourself to the “Do Not Call Registry“
- Answer the call and state clearly – “Please do not call me again. I am not interested. Take my number off your list”. This allows anyone on the line, or listening to the recording, to code your response as such, and move on. If you simply hang up, the responses is coded as a “soft refusal”, and you will get more calls. ***THIS I DO NOT SUGGEST PERSONALLY, unless you are using a voice changer, due to what I’ve discovered scammers can do with your voice, so PLEASE do not use this option unless prepared!!!***
I definitely suggest you take a read of the Original source of this information to find more tips on how to further protect yourself, but if you follow the tips above, you’ll be sure to have a better experience!
Stay safe out there my friends!
– Much love
– SarahTonin
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