The FTC has recently reported a new scam technique.
Scammers call their victim regarding a “loan” that the victim has allegedly applied for; however, the victim never applied for a loan. In reality, the scammer is trying to trick their victim into sharing their personal information over the phone so they can use it for harmful activities like fraud or identity theft.
If you receive a phone call about a loan you know nothing about, it is most likely a scam.
Here’s what you should do if you receive one of these calls:
- Don’t call back.
- Don’t assume caller ID is accurate. Fraudsters can use false caller ID information to appear legitimate and gain your trust.
- Don’t provide the caller with any sensitive personal information over the phone.
- Block the number. If they can’t contact you, they can’t scam you.
- Report the phone call to the FTC at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/.
For more details, read the FTC’s full breakdown here.
