How to Identify Scam Phone Calls

Look for these signs: the caller pressures you to act immediately, asks for payment via gift cards or wire transfer, threatens arrest or legal action, claims to be from the IRS or Social Security Administration, or the caller ID shows a number similar to yours (neighbor spoofing). You can also run the number through a reverse phone lookup to check if others have reported it.

Yes. Caller ID spoofing is cheap and easy with VOIP technology. A scammer in another country can make their call appear to come from your local area code, or even from a government agency's real phone number. Never trust caller ID alone to verify who's calling.

Hang up immediately. Don't press any buttons or say 'yes' (some scams record your voice for authorization fraud). If you gave out personal information, monitor your credit reports and consider a fraud alert. Report the number to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to Social Catfish's scam database so others are warned.

Scammers use auto-dialers that cycle through thousands of spoofed numbers. Blocking one number doesn't help because the next call comes from a different one. Your number may be on a list sold between scam operations. A reverse phone lookup can help you check each new number before deciding whether to answer.

Not always. Some robocalls are legitimate: appointment reminders from your doctor, school closings, political campaigns, and debt collection calls (though debt collector robocalls have strict rules under the TCPA). The red flag is unsolicited robocalls trying to sell you something or asking for personal information. Legitimate companies you have a relationship with may robocall you, but strangers shouldn't be.

There's no way to tell from caller ID alone. Neighbor spoofing uses your own area code and first three digits to make the call look local. The only reliable way to verify is to not answer, then search the number. If it's a real local business or person, they'll show up in a reverse phone lookup with a name and address attached.

Yes. Report to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, the FCC at fcc.gov/consumers/guides/stop-unwanted-robocalls-and-texts, and your phone carrier's spam reporting feature. You can also report numbers to Social Catfish's community database so other users see the warning when they search that number.