Quote:
Originally Posted by jaj523
...I am afraid to call the number as it may trigger something more sinister, just like prompts to "click here" do. How do we handle these phishing instances?
|
First step is to google the phone number, just do a search. Your results will probably be ROBO Warning, Scammer or no one owns that number. You know rightaway it's a fraud caller and just block it. Your phone carrier should have a way to block numbers, or you can add a third party blocking service like Robokiller, except it doesn't work on Century Link land lines, which is what I have. In my case I own a phone that can block numbers.
My Panasonic home phone came with 3 handsets and a base with answering machine and can block 250 numbers, it was $89 at Walmart. This is the phone I have, there are other brands and with more or less handsets.
Amazon.com
I've filled it up three times since I bought it four years ago. That's the only negative is I have to clear out all the numbers once I reach 250, but by then those that were blocked already have moved on after a few months. When you google the number, if you don't get a good result there are two other search engines I use. Basically if they don't leave a message I usually block them anyway.
Google
800 Calls Notes from consumers
https://www.whitepages.com/reverse-phone
Of course phone numbers can be spoofed, I have a '259' exchange and one tactic they use is to spoof another 259, thinking I will answer their call because it's one of my neighbors, NOT! Actually the 259 numbers I never answer, in fact once they even used my own number, that really odd getting a call from yourself. I don't usually bother with blocking those numbers because they change them constantly.
If it's a phishing email, the first I look at is the email address. It's Amazon, it should be from Amazon, not one that ends in ru, nl, de, or something like that, that's a foreign address, that should a quick tip off. If you can't see the email address, right click on the header and you can see it. Whatever you do, DON'T OPEN ANY LINKS OR CLICK ON UNSUBSCRIBE, THAT'S A SURE WAY OF GETTING A VIRUS, OR GO TO ANY LINK.