By Dr. Kavita
Cell phone scams are very common and you hear about them almost every other day. Some scams are less risky than others, but scams need to be spotted and prevented before they can cause any major trouble.
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Here are a few tips that will familiarize you with the commonest kind of cell phone scams going around:
Fraud SMS (text messages) prompting urgent action
There are several innovations of this cell phone scam method, but the end result is that you get a spontaneous SMS on your cell phone which forces you to do something that may prove detrimental to your financial and personal well being.
Most frequent scam is a SMS that fools you into thinking that it is a message from your bank. This could possibly also turn up as an automated voicemail warning that your bank account has been suspended. It also directs you to call a toll free 1-800 number. If you fall in to this trap and make the call, you will then be directed to enter your bank account number, PIN and other details. In case you still did not get the point, you are being subjected to an identity theft.
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Ring tone scams
Apart from being an inexcusable type of nuisance with their dreadful sounds, cell phone users who are habituated to downloading new and free ringtones could be inviting shrewd cell phone scamsters.
Ring tones that are downloaded for free from questionable websites or have been shared by friends via some social media platforms could be hacked by scammers. These bad guys then modify the ring tone and install a virus that either damages the phone or pilfers your sensitive personal and possibly financial information.
Secondly, you may find a SMS inviting you to download a ringtone by replying to that message or they may provide another toll free 1-800 number for you to call and select a ring tone. But if you act on these instructions, you may incur a hefty charge and/or inadvertently subscribe to some unwanted services that will be billed each month to your account.
Innocent looking messages
Sometimes you might receive an apparently innocent looking text message on your cell phone that prompts you to click on it because you think it is from someone who knows you. If you click on this type of sms, you are stepping in to a danger zone. Just like the ring tone scam above, such messages could have virus installed and clicking on them might install one of these viruses on to your cell phone. These viruses have varied functions. Some are designed to steal your sensitive info while you are unwarily using the phone.
How to prevent such cell phone scams?
The bottom line in preventing such scams is to be vigilant of unwanted / unknown calls and messages. Never ever divulge any info to any caller and also do not click on messages from unknown senders.
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