How to Report a Scam Phone Number

Have you ever received a strange phone call from someone trying to sell you something? Perhaps, you grew suspicious when the product was offered at an incredibly low price. To make the purchase, the person on the other end of the line requested your personal and financial information. Despite your skepticism, you gave out the information in hopes of getting a good deal. Unfortunately, the scammer hung up, and you became a victim of identity theft and financial loss. If this scenario sounds familiar, continue reading this article to learn how to report a scam phone number.

What Are Phone Scams?

Telephone scams come up with excuses and reasons as to why you should give them your personal and financial information. Some of these calls can come in different forms such as a robocall, real person, or a text message. They usually try to sell you something, pretend to be a charity, act like you won the lottery, and more to try and trick your information out of you.

Sometimes, they even pretend to be law enforcement so that they can scare this information out of you. This information could be your birthday, social security number, finances, security questions, or more. They then take this information then commit identity theft and drain your bank account so that they can get their hands on your hard-earned money.

How to Report a Scam Phone Number

• Report any phone scam to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) online or by calling 1-877-382-4357. They are the primary government agency that collects scam complaints.
• Report all unwelcome robocalls or sales calls to the Do Not Call Registry online or by calling 1-888-382-1222.
• Report spoofing scams to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) online or by calling 1-888-225-5322.
• Report the scam to your local police office or state consumer protection office.

How to Avoid Phone Scams

• Register your phone number with the Do Not Call Registry. This gives you peace of mind that if a robocall calls you after registering your phone number, then they are most likely a scam caller.
• Be suspicious of callers claiming that you won the lottery or a prize. This is just so that they can trick you out of your personal and financial information.
• Hang up on calls that seem suspicious to you. Usually, your gut feeling is right and should be followed if you sense something is off.
• Don’t believe everything your Caller ID says. Scammers can spoof your Caller ID to make it seem like someone else is calling you when it is actually a scammer.
• Do your research before giving a caller money or information.
• Don’t give in to pressure from the caller to take immediate action.
• Don’t answer if the caller asks if you can hear them. This is a trick to get you to say “yes.” Scammers then record your “yes” and use it as proof that you consent to open up a credit card or a purchase.
• Don’t give out your personal or financial information to the caller.

Social Catfish is Here to Help You!

At Social Catfish, we want to help you verify the identities of those who might seem suspicious to you. If you have their name, email address, phone number, social media username, or image, you can reverse search and see who the suspected person was that you’ve been in contact with if you’ve been wondering how to block someone on WhatsApp. If you’ve ever been a victim of a scam make sure to report it to the FTC for additional support.