Phone scams are on the rise and protecting yourself from them is critical.
Every year, thousands of hard-working Australians lose money to phone scams. Whether it is a small amount or life savings, many unassuming people lose money to these scams.
The people who run these phone scams have no issue with encouraging you to hand over your hard-earned cash. They know how to lure someone in – calling you by your first name, asking about your family, talking about work or claiming to be part of a trustworthy company. They will also use private personal details to make them seem legitimate.
Some popular phone scams can include claiming to be the police, and your bank details are required to catch criminals who are scamming people out of money. Another is to claim you have won a prize in a foreign lottery, but they need a few thousand dollars to pay for transfer fees. Some even make up crazy stories about being a Nigerian prince who requires help to get a vast fortune from the local bank.
Then there’s the popular internet scam – where they pose as internet service providers claiming that your computer security has been breached and requires their help. They use exaggerated offers and prizes to reel victims in, then slowly become pushy and demanding when questioned.
Regardless of the type of phone scam, these fraudsters usually require critical details about the victim’s life to make their deception work. They often gain these details through improperly disposed of documents, which is usually obtained by searching trash, hacking and other immoral practices. When operating a phone scam, if they already have your details they can record your voice and use it to apply charges to your credit cards fraudulently.
Fraud affects individuals and businesses; it doesn’t discriminate. Which is why the only sure-fire way to be safe is to shred all documents that contain sensitive personal information. Shredding services ensure that thieves cannot gain your vital information – like credit card details, addresses or phone numbers – and use them to wreak havoc in your life. Armed with sensitive data, thieves can open accounts in your name, apply for credit cards and fool all but the most sophisticated financial institutions.
The sad truth is, once the money is gone, there is very little the police can do. The technology doesn’t yet exist to easily track these people down.
Even digital storage needs to be safely disposed of, which is why iShred’s shredding services include laptops, DVDs, CDs, hard drives and tapes. This ensures that thieves operating phone scams can’t use the data stored on them.
So next time you are disposing of obsolete documents, contact iShred. Let us do our part to ensure that Australians stay safe from phone scams.
