7 Don’ts to Avoid a Scam Effectively

John received a call from a stranger. The person told John that he owed the bank $9000 credit card debt. John replied that he did not have credit cards from that particular bank.  The other person on the line told him that there was a possibility of identity theft.  The caller told him not to panic but gave John a phone number purported to be the central bank. John called the number as instructed. Someone at the other end took the call and told him that there were many cases of identity theft.    John was desperate and the person purported to be a bank employee told him to transfer all his money from his accounts and deposit it into a new account. He requested for all his bank account numbers and got authorization from John to allow them to act on his behalf.  As John could not think of a better way, he did as told. A few days later John tried to call the same number but he couldn’t get through. John immediately checked his bank accounts and discovered to his horror that all his money was missing.

When you are in that situation, there are 7 things you don’t do:

1.       Don’t be panicky: Stay cool and calm when you are confronted by a strange telephone call. You can’t see the other person and the other person cannot see you. Whatever it is, the message is subject to verification.

2.       Don’t talk: Just listen and allow the person to finish talking. In this way the caller perceives you to be a”cool” person and not easily get cheated. When you get excited and interrupt, you may disclose more information.

3.       Don’t respond: It is not appropriate to respond in a telephone conversation about debt. Normally a bank will deal with it in writing like sending you a notice of demand. 

4.       Don’t disclose: Do not disclose your personal information over the phone. When you are dealing with a bank, they have already got the necessary information. There is no need for you to tell.

 

5.       Don’t cooperate: There is no need to follow instructions because it is not the right procedure especially since the caller is unknown to you.

6.       Don’t decide immediately: Put down the call and allow yourself a few minutes to think it over before you decide to do anything.

7.       Don’t keep it to yourself: It does not matter if you have avoided the scam or if you are unfortunate to be scammed, tell others the story to avoid more people getting duped.  

Adapted from an article in Feminine 540/20.3.11 205