Phone scams

What is a phone scam?

Phone scams involve fraudsters attempting to obtain your personal or financial information over the phone.

These scams are often referred to as 'vishing' scams - a combination of 'voice' and 'phishing'.

It's not always easy to spot a phone scam. For example, fraudsters can spoof phone numbers so it appears that you're genuinely being called by your bank or a government department. Additionally, they may already have some of your information from a previous data breach, which might make you think the call is genuine.

Read on to learn more about the most common types of phone scams and how to avoid them. 

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Common types of phone scam

• Impersonation scams: Someone calls you out of the blue claiming to be from your bank's fraud department. They inform you that your account has been compromised and encourage you to transfer your money into a 'safe' account, before disappearing with your cash. Scammers have also been known to impersonate the police, utility providers and government departments.
• Remote access scams: Similar to the above, the fraudster claims your account has been compromised and informs you that you'll need to download software onto your device so that they can access the account. The software is from a legitimate company but is used by the scammer to steal your money. If you're encouraged to download software, end the call, disconnect from your wi-fi and delete anything you've downloaded.
• Tech support scams: These scams also involve remote access software. The fraudster impersonates a tech company such as Microsoft and informs you that your device has been infected with malware. To fix the issue, they will either ask you to download remote access software to give them control over your device or trick you into installing malware.
• HMRC scams: A scammer calls you claiming to be from HMRC, telling you that you have underpaid your tax. Some scammers leave automated voicemails which state that you're being taken to court and ask you to press a number that then puts you through to a fraudster. Other HMRC scams begin with an email or text message asking you to call a dodgy number to secure your account or claim a tax refund. You can report scam calls to HMRC online (you'll be asked to sign in using your Government Gateway user ID or your email address).
• Investment and financial scams: A scammer calls you out of the blue about a phoney investment opportunity, promising huge returns. Pension cold calls are banned, and the government is consulting on extending this to all financial products. If the changes come into force, you'll know that any unsolicited financial call trying to sell you a product is a scam. 
• Prize draw scams: A fraudster calls you claiming you've won a prize or the lottery. They'll invent a story to make up for the fact that you don't remember entering a competition. You'll usually be asked for your personal or financial information to receive the prize or money.

Premium-rate number scams

Fraudsters also look to trick victims via premium-rate number scams.

We've previously reported on 'call connecting' companies buying up ads on search engines that appear when you search for a government department or utility provider. 

These 'click to dial' ads allow you to click on the phone number and be put straight through to the company. You will be sent through to the company's genuine phone line, but via a premium-rate number, meaning a call that should be free could cost you upwards of £100. 

Premium numbers to look out for typically start with 084, 087, 090, 091 or 098. To avoid these scams, don't click on sponsored results when looking up companies or government departments. Instead, ensure you're navigating to their official website. 

If you've been unexpectedly charged a premium rate for a call and believe this wasn't made clear, you can report this to Ofcom by filling out a form on its website or by calling it on on 0300 123 3333 or 020 7981 3040.

Finally, it's also worth being on your guard against 'missed call' scams. This is when a scammer calls you from a premium number but ends the call before you can answer it, in the hope you'll phone back and run up a big bill. 

How to stay safe from phone scams

Follow these tips to stay safe from scammers who target you over the phone:

1. Never disclose your financial information over the phone. If you're at all suspicious about the caller, end the call immediately. 
2. Register with the Telephone Preference Service (TPS). This will stop legitimate companies from making unsolicited sales and marketing calls to your phone number, so when you receive a call, you'll know a scammer is on the other end of the line.
3. Consider installing a call blocker for nuisance calls.
4. Be aware that scammers may be able to keep your phone line open even after you’ve hung up, so if you hang up on a dodgy call, use a different phone to call the company back on a trusted number or wait for at least 10 to 15 minutes. 
5. Call 159 if you receive a call claiming to be from your bank. When you call, you'll be put through to your bank's genuine customer service line. The banks involved in the scheme include Barclays, Bank of Scotland, Co-operative, First Direct, Halifax, HSBC, Lloyds, Metro Bank, Nationwide, NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland, Santander, Starling Bank, Tide, TSB, Monzo and Ulster Bank. You can use this service if your phone contract is with BT (including EE and Plusnet), Gamma, O2 (including giffgaff), Sky, Three, Vodafone, TalkTalk or Virgin Media. You can see a full list of the members, including any new companies that become members on the scheme's website.

How to verify numbers

If you receive a call from a number you don't recognise, you can try to verify it by:

• Using a website to search for a phone number, such as Who Called Me.
• Typing in the number to a search engine and seeing what comes up. Others may have reported receiving scam calls from the same number.
• Searching the number on social media to see if others have received suspicious calls from it.
• Be wary of international calling codes as it's unlikely that legitimate businesses will be calling you from an international number.

How to report phone scams

If you receive a suspicious call on an iPhone, you can report it to your provider by texting the word ‘call’ followed by the phone number to 7726. 

If you have an Android phone, text the word ‘call’ to 7726. You’ll then receive a message asking you for the scam number.

For scam calls received on WhatsApp, open the WhatsApp chat with the dodgy phone number and tap 'block.' You can report the contact by tapping 'report contact' and 'block'.

You can also report scam calls to Action Fraud or call the police on 101 if you’re in Scotland.