Scam Alert 6/5: Illegal Robo Calls and Spoofing
Illegal Robocalls and Spoofing
American homes received more than 48 billion robocalls (auto-dialed calls) in 2018. While many are legitimate – your doctor’s office confirming an appointment, your pharmacy letting you know your prescription is ready, even AARP calling to offer educational sessions on things like fraud prevention – experts estimate that 40% of robocalls could be scams. Fend off the scammers! Add all your numbers to the National Do Not Call Registry (donotcall.gov). Explore free or low-cost call blocking options. Verify the identity of a caller – by your phone book or online. And report scam calls to the Federal Trade Commission at ftc.gov/complaint so the good guys know what the bad guys are up to. Also, recognize that incoming calls can be “spoofed” – faked to look like legitimate callers, so don’t solely rely on Caller ID.
Be a fraud fighter! If you can spot a scam, you can stop a scam.
Visit the AARP Fraud Watch Network at www.aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork or call the AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline at 1-877-908-3360 to report a scam or get help if you’ve fallen victim.
