{"id":1146,"date":"2016-01-05T11:15:31","date_gmt":"2016-01-05T16:15:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.musingsbymichael.com\/blog\/?p=1146"},"modified":"2016-01-05T11:15:31","modified_gmt":"2016-01-05T16:15:31","slug":"phone-scams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.musingsbymichael.com\/blog\/2016\/01\/05\/phone-scams\/","title":{"rendered":"Phone Scams"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Grandparent<\/a><\/p>\n

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Phone scams are still being perpetrated upon those who are naive and\/or have no knowledge of the subject they are being called about. It is unfortunate that these scams still are causing financial harm to many people, so today I thought it is about time to talk about some of them.<\/span><\/p>\n

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One of the most common ones for those who own computers is the Microsoft<\/a> calling scam. In this one someone claiming to be from Microsoft calls to tell you that they have detected something wrong with your computer and they would like to be granted remote access to fix it. Do not <\/strong>ever let anyone ever get remote access to your computer unless it is someone you trust.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Another scam<\/a> is the one where someone calls claiming to be a relative who is in trouble and needs money. They might say they have been kidnapped or need money for bail or to pay a fine and the scammers want you to send money via Western Union or MoneyGram or go buy a prepaid card or to provide bank account routing numbers. Doing this prevents any tracing back to the scammers and also prevents you from ever getting the money back. Always call the person who they claim needs the money on either their cell phone or at a number you know that they will be at.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Then there is the scam where you are lead to believe that the IRS is calling<\/a> and that you owe them money. Again they will ask you to send them the money via Western Union or MoneyGram or go buy a prepaid card or to provide bank account routing numbers. In the future the IRS might start making calls, but they will never ask you to send money by the above mentioned methods!<\/span><\/p>\n

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You might pick up the phone one day and find the person at the other end telling you that there is a warrant out for your arrest for missing jury duty, but you can avoid being arrested by paying a fine. Again they will ask you to pay via the methods described above. Or they might ask for your social security number and a credit card to pay, never ever do that!<\/span><\/p>\n

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There are many variations of phone scams and they do evolve over time. Some of the things that might tip you off that they are scams are the caller id has been blocked, the callers have a foreign accent and their command of English is poor. Always remember that for the scam to work they have to make you believe that it is real. So be skeptical about all calls asking for money!<\/span><\/p>\n

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I myself have received calls that my computer has been corrupted and they claim to be Microsoft calling to help you fix your computer. So remember that no one is immune from getting these calls. Stay safe and be aware that there are people out in the world that want to scam you out of your money.<\/span><\/p>\n

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That is my opinion- Jumpin Jersey Mike<\/span><\/p>\n