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Phone Scams and How to Avoid Them

Credit Card Number Theft

How it works: Similar to other schemes, this is a scam designed to convince you to give up your credit card number over the phone or via e-mail. This allows an unauthorized person to use your card and run up illegal charges. Usually, you will receive a phone call or e-mail from someone masquerading as a representative from a legitimate company you might normally do business with. The person will try to convince you they need your credit card number to check your account.

How to protect yourself: Treat your credit card and your credit card numbers like they were cash. Be suspicious and ask lots of questions; just hang up or don't respond to the e-mail. Most legitimate companies do not need your credit card number; they already have it. The only time you should provide your credit card number is when you are actually buying something from a trusted company. Also, remember to check your credit annually through one or more of the major credit bureaus.

*72 Prison Scam

How it works: You receive a call from an operator saying there is an inmate from a correctional facility who needs you to accept a collect call and the associated charges. Once you accept the call, the caller convinces you to hang up your phone, dial in *72 and another phone number. * 72 is the code used to forward your incoming calls to another number, if you have call forwarding service or if it's available on a per-use basis in your local exchange. If you do this, the inmate will then make additional collect calls to your number, but the calls will be forwarded to someone the inmate knows at the number where you forwarded the calls. That person accepts the charges, but they are billed to you. Often you don't realize this has happened until you notice your phone not ringing or you receive your bill with numerous unexpected charges.

How to protect yourself: Never accept collect calls unless you are absolutely sure you know the person calling. Never activate call forwarding unless you need to do it for your own reasons and to a number you know.

PBX/Voice Mail Compromising

How it works: A PBX -- or Private Branch Exchange -- is a piece of equipment at a business which serves a number of phone extensions within the business, providing capabilities, including in-house calling, call transfers, call forwarding, and voice mail. Often the equipment has the capability for remote access to allow a technician at an off-site location to make changes or upgrades. A fraudster will tap into the remote access function through knowledge of a password or by hacking. If they gain access, they could give themselves the capability to make long distance and other calls at your expense. They could also gain access to your voice mail system and create mischief.

How to protect yourself: If you do have a remote access feature on your PBX, turn it off. Protect your passwords for the PBX and/or voice mail systems, and change them often. Always create a new and unique password after activating the equipment. It is also important to regularly review all billing information and block access to such numbers as "900" services.

9-0 # Scam

How it works: This is a type of fraud that preys on businesses that use PBX systems or other types of telecommunication systems where you have to dial "9" to get an outside line to make a call. The people attempting the scam will call the main number at a business and identify themselves as working for the phone company. To perform a system check, the person will ask the receptionist to initiate a conference call and then press 9 plus 0, which accesses an outside line. The receptionist is then asked to hang up. Often, this leaves the scam artist with access to the outside line. They then make fraudulent long distance calls that are billed to the business.

How to protect yourself: Legitimate major telecom companies don't have to dial into a PBX or phone system to perform such a check. Just hang up or ask pointed questions, including requesting a callback number. Most of the time, the scam artist hangs up and moves on to someone else rather than answering your question.

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