How to behave if a scammer calls: instructions for everyone who has a phone

Recently "Yandex" updated caller ID in the application with "Alice". In 2022, it issued a verdict for 1.6 billion calls, 13% of which were marked as unwanted, and one in a hundred as potentially fraudulent. Such a flurry of dubious calls turns into serious problems: every year telephone scammers kidnapped clients of Russian banks have billions of rubles. At the same time, the victims are less and less succeed return the stolen money.

The easiest way to protect yourself is not to answer calls from unknown numbers. But it does not always work, especially when it comes to the elderly and children. They are often gullible and let their guard down, making them especially vulnerable to scammers. And adults often do not have the opportunity to ignore unknown callers. It can be a customer, a courier, or a driver whose car you “locked” in the supermarket parking lot.

Caller ID apps help you distinguish between a safe call and a potentially unwanted one: advertisements, calls from a scammer or a collector. At the same time, an unknown number is not the only thing that indicates a potential threat. We tell you what other signs you can recognize fraud from the very beginning and what to do to avoid unpleasant consequences.

How to understand that scammers are calling you

Have an unwanted call There is several distinguishing features.

They talk to you about money and personal data

The main topic of conversation during a call from scammers is money. They are offered to be transferred to a “safe” account or “profitably” invested. At the same time, the interlocutor is interested in the data of the card or bank account, the code for confirming the operation from SMS, three digits on the back of the card, login and password from your personal account in Internet banking or any other “key” to finance.

They try to evoke strong emotions in you

Fraudsters actively try to unbalance the victim. When a person is confused or agitated, the chances of them sharing sensitive information are greatly increased. Therefore, they put pressure on him, for example, they say that a decision needs to be made urgently, they scare him or, conversely, make him happy - for example, they say that he won the lottery.

You are being called from a hidden number

Fraudsters often hide phone numbers so that they cannot be blacklisted, handed over to the police or bank security. Therefore, if the number is not displayed during an incoming call, this should alert.

What schemes are used by scammers

Attackers are constantly come up with new methods of deception to force the victim to transfer money to them or reveal sensitive data needed to access the card. Increasingly, they act in stages and commit consecutive calls with a difference of several days, in order to first inspire confidence and find out more personal information and only then extract the necessary information from a prepared victim.

In any case, one of the "classic" schemes is usually used with some variations in details.

Bank call

The person on the other end of the wire introduces himself as a bank employee and says that they are trying to issue a huge loan, a suspicious transaction is being made with her bank account, or the funds are under some other threat. To save finances, you need to provide confidential information or withdraw money to a "safe" account.

What to do

Never provide any information over the phone. It is better to hang up the phone immediately, and then call the bank back at the official number or go to the nearest branch and clarify the information.

Call from the police

The fraudster introduces himself as a police officer, prosecutor's office or FSB. Further scenarios are different: for example, they can say that the victim is connected with some kind of criminal case, report suspicious activity on a bank account or claim that someone close to you has been trouble.

What to do

In order to obtain the necessary information, police officers usually ask to come to the station and use written requests. If inquiries by phone are in doubt, you need to clarify with the caller his rank, position and work phone number, as well as in which unit he serves and who his leader is. Then you should hang up and check the information, for example, by calling the numbers listed on the official website of the department.

Call from the pension fund

The victim is offered by phone to recalculate the pension or arrange for additional payments. To do this, you need to dictate to the “PFR employee” bank card details, passport data or other personal information.

What to do

Employees of the Pension Fund of Russia never don't ask by phone, bank card details or account data on the "Gosuslugi". As in the case of other calls allegedly from government agencies, at the slightest suspicion, it is worth dropping the call and contacting the department yourself using official contacts.

Call from a relative

The person on the other end of the wire introduces himself as a husband, wife, brother, sister, son, daughter, or any other family member. He says that he is in an extremely difficult situation, so he calls from an unknown number, and also asks to transfer money to him as soon as possible in order to cope with troubles.

What to do

In such a situation, deception often reveals itself. For example, the person being called has no children, no wife, no brother. However, sometimes scammers get to the point and are so convincing that you can believe that someone close is really calling. But no matter how frightening the story, it is better to hang up and call the relative on his number to find out the details. Another option is to ask as many personal questions as possible, which will make sure that on the other end of the wire is not a scammer, but a family member.

Lottery win call

The scammer may introduce himself as an employee of a radio station, store or any other organization and congratulate the victim on a big win. That's just to get it, you need to make a deposit for a certain amount, which supposedly will be returned later. Of course, the “winner” will never see either the prize or their money.

What to do

Do not take the word of the person on the other end of the wire, in any case do not disclose personal information and do not transfer money. You can ask to tell more about the lottery, find out where to read its conditions and what number to call back after clarifying the information. If the lottery is real, such questions will not confuse the interlocutor. And if he answers evasively, you should immediately hang up the phone.

Reset call

If the phone call lasted only a few seconds and then immediately stopped, it could be a scammer. It may have several goals, for example, to check the activity of the number or to arouse the subscriber's curiosity so that he himself dials the number, calls to which are paid.

What to do

It is best not to call back unknown numbers. Friends and family members can be warned in advance that you will not return or return such calls. Then they will know that in case of force majeure you should call from known numbers or write messages in instant messengers.

If there is no opportunity not to pick up the phone - for example, your work is related to finding customers or you often make purchases with delivery - automatic caller ID will come in handy.

Another option is to answer the call and remain silent. If there is a person on the other end of the wire, he will speak himself, and if there is a robot, he will disconnect.

Call with number change

This is one of the most widespread recently ways of telephone fraud. Attackers use it not only to mislead the victim, but also to hide their location and complicate the work of police officers. Moreover, fraudsters replace not only the official numbers of banks and organizations, but also the personal numbers of people.

What to do

Even if at first glance the call looks normal, you should not relax, especially if it is unexpected. It is better to immediately hang up and call back to the department where the “specialist” allegedly calls from.

Voice mail message

The scheme looks like this. An SMS comes to the phone, which says that an unknown subscriber left a voice message. To listen to it, you need to either follow the link provided, or call a specific number. In this case, the link leads to a malicious site, and the call to the number turns out to be paid.

What to do

When someone leaves a voice message, the system usually sends SMS with a number that starts with #00. By typing it, you can listen to the message. In addition, the number of the person who left it is immediately determined, so that you can call back. If these conditions are not met, most likely, the SMS was sent by scammers, which means that there is no need to call back.

What to do if you become a victim of a scammer

According to lawyers, the only way to return the stolen funds is to contact law enforcement agencies in a timely manner.

The police will need to make a statement. This can be done orally or in writing, but it is better to record on paper when and under what circumstances everything happened. In the application, you will need to describe in detail how the communication with the fraudster took place, indicate the phone number on which the conversation took place, and note to whom the contract with the telecom operator is drawn up, as well as write down the bank account details, if they were mentioned in communication.

Thus, if you become a victim of phone scammers, you will have to prepare for a long and hard struggle. Therefore, it is better to strike a preemptive strike - to study known tricks in advance and warn loved ones about them in order to save time and, most importantly, money.

Have you or your loved ones experienced phone scams? Tell us how you behaved and what advice you could give.