You may be being contacted by a salesperson or telemarketing agency conducting a (user) survey. This could be annoying to some, but it doesn’t pose a threat. However, there are many forms of scams where you are contacted on an unknown number.
Wangiri callback fraud is a type of scam where people try to get you to call back to premium rate numbers. Your phone rings once and if you call back, you don’t get anyone on the phone. You hear a waiting tone or nothing at all, but meanwhile the expenses are racking up without you realising it.
In a Microsoft or tech scam, you are contacted by someone on the phone who pretends to work as a helpdesk employee for Microsoft, Apple or another IT company. The scammer makes you believe that your computer has a security issue and they suggest ways to secure your computer.
A robocall is an automatically generated telephone call. When you are called by a robocall, you will hear a pre-recorded message or a robotic voice. You will be asked to dial a number to continue. Robocalls can be used by companies for actions towards their customers.
Unfortunately, robocalls are mostly used by scammers. You receive a call that seems to come from the police or a government service that wants to warn you about a problem with your bank card. Then your details are requested and you can be scammed.
Safe deposit account fraud involves being contacted by someone claiming to be an employee of your bank. This supposed bank employee is trying to convince you to transfer your entire account to another account.
Smishing is a form of phishing where you receive a text or SMS message containing a link taking you to a fake website, which will ask you to fill in your (bank) details.
Text message fraud. You get a text message. If you reply, you will receive a series of expensive text messages that you will have to pay for. Sometimes the message asks you to call a foreign number urgently, in which case you will have to pay that bill as well.
What to do when you receive an incoming call or message from an unknown number
Never give out personal details, passwords, bank card codes or response codes via an e-mail, telephone call, text message or social media.
