Lifehack: this is how you recognize phone scammers

The phone rings and a strange voice tells you to act quickly or you will lose a lot of money. Almost certainly a scammer. Guard yourself against this with common sense.

This is called ‘vishing’, which is a combination of ‘voice’ and ‘phishing’. The latter refers to criminals who prey on your personal information and thus make money. Most people now recognize a fake email, but because a vote builds trust faster, it’s easier to fall into the trap.

How does this work

For example, the person on the other end of the line may impersonate someone from your bank, government agency, or technology company. It tries to convince you that there is something wrong with your account or account and forces you to log into your bank or email. A link will be sent to you, but the password you entered will be compromised.

Sometimes scammers are hard to spot because they are so smart. For example, the phone number you are looking for seems reliable. They do this through “fraud” or digital fraud. While the criminal is actually calling from abroad, you will see the area code of the Netherlands or even your own municipality on your screen.

Websites are also completely fake, which makes it difficult to tell them apart. The posted link will take you to a login page that looks exactly like the one you always use.

Calm

It is important to keep your cool. One of the characteristics of “Vishing” is that you are under time pressure. The caller tells you to act immediately or your account will be searched or your email address will not be recoverable.

They do this to overwhelm you so you don’t have time to think about what you’re doing. The most important advice is to take this time. There is never a problem that is acute enough to require immediate action.

In any case, there is reason to be careful if you are suddenly sued by such authorities. In reality, they won’t contact you that way. Therefore, take three breaths and seek the authority you need. If there really is a problem with your account, they can definitely see it.

Information

You should also be careful if you are asked for information that the calling organization should have. Criminals can phishing by impersonating you, and they need a complete profile to do that. For example, they ask for your social security number, date of birth or account number.

If you notice any of the above features, turn off the phone immediately. Don’t feel like you have to end the conversation. It is then best to report this to the Fraud Helpdesk so that the extent of fraud in our country can be properly mapped out.