You don’t need to hide it—we’re on our devices a lot too. Smart phones, tablets, and computers are nearly essential in life and work; even our kids need them for school. While our devices help to make our lives easier and more efficient, we all need to be aware of the information we enter online.
Online scammers will do anything to get your personal information. And all they need is your phone number. This includes those “Enter your phone number or email address for a chance to win!” messages we see all over the internet. We like a good giveaway too, just be careful.
Below we share how scammers can get your phone number, what they can do with it, and what you should do about it so that you can avoid a financial nightmare.
How do scammers get your phone number?
Scammers obtain your phone number by “web scraping.” This means they extract your data from the internet by simply searching websites, social media accounts, and databases that companies keep (like those giveaway entries!). They can also steal or purchase your online activity from companies that store and sell people’s information for profit.
Did You Know? 33,000 text scams were reported in 2021 with a 15% increase in 2022.
What can scammers do with your phone number?
Scammers can do more harm with just your phone number than you might think. But don’t panic! Being diligent when you’re online is key to keeping your personal information safe.
Below are the most common phone number scams that get reported to the FTC:
Digging for data. Scammers use your phone number to try to get even more of your personal information. They enter your phone number into specific websites looking for your addresses, family members’ names, and financial information such as recorded bankruptcies. These scammers sell the information they find to other hackers, and that can lead to identity theft.
Rerouting your number. Sounds relatively harmless, right? All a scammer needs to do is contact your mobile carrier impersonating you and authorize your phone number to be rerouted to a phone that they have access to.
Why would they want to do that? With your phone number, they can go to any website where they know you have an account (email, credit card, social media) and choose “forgot password,” having the link sent to your phone number which now reroutes directly to them. With access to your phone number and email, they can access nearly any other account you might have online.
Did You Know? There were 26 billion scam calls reported in 2019.
“Spoof” your number. “Spoofing” is when fraudsters use your number to call other people who may recognize the number as you, making them more likely to answer. Once they’ve answered, scammers try to take advantage of them.
For instance, scammers may ask over the phone, “Can you hear me?” When the person on the other line says, “yes” the scammer records their voice and can use it to authorize changes to their accounts.
Smishing. We know it’s a silly name, but it’s a serious scam. Smishing is “phishing” in text form. Smishing is when scammers use your number to send images, links, or engaging messages to other people trying to bait them into replying. And people definitely reply. It’s reported that 95% of text messages are opened and answered compared to 20% of emails. No wonder texting scams are on the rise!
These texts can be infected with malware (where they can potentially gain access to your device), will direct to a site that’s not secure where personal information may be entered, or have a message that you’d be tempted to answer.
Some common fraudulent text messages are:
- We’ve noticed suspicious activity on your account.
- You’re eligible for a government refund!
- You’ve been overcharged for a purchase and are entitled to a refund
- You’ve won $1,000! Your prize needs to be claimed ASAP. Reply with your bank information so the prize can be deposited into your account before time runs out.
- Your package has been lost during delivery. Please click this link for more information.
- Your IRS tax refund has been denied. Click the link to review in 24 hours.
What do I do if I get a text from a potential scammer?
It’s important not to answer or reply. Even if you reply to a text with “STOP” or a phone call by saying “Stop calling me” the scammer knows your phone is active and available to target again.
Here’s a quick list to have handy in case you’re the target of a phone or texting scam:
- Ignore it and do not reply!
- Contact the company being impersonated (if you know)
- Report any messages/scams to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
If you responded to a scam, don’t be too hard on yourself—we all make mistakes and a lot of these messages and phone calls look and sound legitimate.
If you’ve given out your credit card information, contact your credit card company immediately. Change any account passwords associated with the information you shared. Contact your bank to let them know so that they can be aware of potential fraudulent charges or applications in your name.
Did You Know? Text fraud cost consumers $137 billion in 2022 (so far).
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed or even scared by scamming information, but we want to encourage you to be empowered and in control of your financial information. It’s your best defense against potential fraud.
Share your phone number only with people you trust and be aware of all correspondence you receive on your devices. Remember, Auburn Savings will never text or call you asking for your personal information or to discuss your account details.