- Get and use caller ID on your landline, and use it on your cellphone. Don’t answer calls from unknown numbers. Let it go to voicemail, and if they do leave a message, do a bit of research first before returning the call. Using a search engine, it’s easy to look up the phone number and confirm if it’s from a legitimate source, or if it has complaints against it.
- Look into call-blocking technology. Major cellphone carriers such as Verizon have started offering this technology to all of their users. It is possible to forward your landline to your cellphone by dialing *72.
- Learn what current scams are going around and how to respond, if at all. For instance, the IRS will never contact anyone by phone. A law office is also required to send appropriate documentation and will not call to serve a case.
- Hang up and call back. A legitimate business, such as a credit card company, will leave a phone number. Compare the phone number to the one on the back of your credit card, and call that one instead, and request to talk to their fraud department.
- Don’t press “1” to be connected or to try and take yourself off the list. Oftentimes, this can lead to a phishing expedition or confirms your phone number and results in more robocalls.
- Rely on the old maxim, “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.” Don’t wire money to unknown or unusual sources, even if they claim to be your nephew or grandson.
If you have been the victim of a scam call, there are some steps that can be taken, per the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission. If you fear you have already been a victim of a scammer, they recommend contacting your bank or the service you sent your money through. Most have policies to help deal with fraud, and many of them may be able to help get some or all of your money back. Next, report it to the Sheriff’s department and with the consumer protection department of the SD Office of the Attorney General. Some scams can also be reported to the FTC, the IRS, the Census Bureau, and the Public Utilities Commission. And importantly, keep an eye on your credit score, as that can be an important indicator of identity theft.
The South Dakota Public Utilities Commission has more information via their website at http://puc.sd.gov/scamcalls/default.aspx.
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