It’s no secret that immigrants are often targeted by the latest phone scams. The number of scams have been on the rise in recent years, and this trend is expected to continue well into 2023.
One particularly vulnerable population are immigrants as they may not be familiar with the many types of phone scams that are out there, making them easy prey for scammers.
In this blog post, we will cover the top 12 phone scams that are targeting immigrants in 2023. We will also provide tips on how to avoid these scams. Stay safe and don’t let a scammer take advantage of you!
How to Easily Recognize a Phone Scam?
Smartphones have made it easier to spot phone scams these days with caller ID on cell phones allowing us to identify unknown callers, spam or “scam likely”. These warnings give you some preparation but they are not always spam or scams. If you do answer the phone, look for the following signs to spot a scam.
The Robot Voice
You receive a call with an automated voice recording that asks you to press a key or say a word. If you do, it confirms the call was successful and often puts you in contact with the actual scammer.
The Pressure to Act Quickly
A classic sign of phone scams is the pressure for you to act quickly or else something bad will happen. The scammer will try to scare you into making a payment or revealing personal details.
The Unrealistic Promise
Scammers use tactics such as an unrealistic promise of money, a prize or a discount to get your attention and trick you into action.
They Threaten Arrest
Within the first sentence or two, the caller might threaten immediate arrest or legal action if you don’t comply. They may claim to be from various Federal agencies.
The Request for Personal Information
Scammers will often ask for your full name, address and social security number to try to scam you. Be wary of anyone who asks for this kind of information over the phone as it is a sure sign of a scam.
Request Money
The caller requests or requires a payment, for you to wire money or transfer funds to a gift card to solve a problem.
What are the Most Common Types of Caller Scams Targeting Immigrants?
Let’s go over the most common types of scams targeting immigrants.
Phishing Scams
A phishing scam is the most common type of phone scam. The caller pretends to be from a legitimate organization, such as a government agency or bank and requests personal information in order to gain access to your accounts.
Debt Relief or Credit Repair and Credit Improvement Scams
As we have discussed in other articles, “Moving to the USA Checklist – Preparing For The Move“, building credit and having access to loans is a challenge for new immigrants.
Scammers will target immigrants because they are aware that many do not fully understand the U.S. banking and credit system. They may offer to sell you a credit report (which in reality is free to receive) or claim you need to take immediate action to stop a transaction that will “ruin” your credit.
Once you have provided them with your personal information, they may take money or request payment for services that are rarely, if ever completed.
IRS and Social Security Administration Scams
Scammers will pretend to be from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and threaten new immigrants with an arrest warrant and hefty fines unless they provide financial or credit card information immediately. The IRS will never contact you by phone and demand payment, ever.
Another version is where a caller claims to be from the social security administration to notify you that there was a problem with your new card. This one targets recently-arrived immigrants who have visited the social security office to get social security card.
Other Government Agencies Common Scams
Phishing calls can pretend to be coming from just about any government agency (the better business bureau, DMV, etc.) They all have the same tactics to try to get your info. If you are unsure, just hang up and look up the number on the government website. Call them back or visit the office to confirm if there is any problem.
Investment Opportunities Fraud
You receive a text message or call directing you to an investment opportunity. They promise you a lot of money in return for very little effort and don’t require any qualifications. They may claim this can speed up your citizenship status or grant a visa to overseas family members. Again, this is just another way of getting your personal information and access to your money.
Impersonation Scams
In this type of scam, the caller impersonates someone you know in order to gain your trust and get you to reveal sensitive information. They will often speak in your native language to make it easier for you to trust them.
They may claim that they have been arrested, kidnapped, or held against their will in order to pressure you to send money to some offshore account.
Lottery or Sweepstakes
These scams will tell the victim that they have won a prize, but in order to claim it, they must pay taxes or fees upfront. This is a classic scam.
They may tell you to check their credentials by mentioning real sweepstakes such as the name of the state lottery where you live or ones with a long history in the U.S. “i.e. Publisher’s Clearing House”. Be careful to not go to any website addresses they mention as they are most likely Phishing sites.
To learn more about internet scams check out our article, “15 Most Common Types of Online Scams Targeting Immigrants.”
Tech Support Scam
In this scam, the caller pretends to be from a tech support team and requests remote access to your computer in order to “fix” an issue or download malicious software. They may also “require” you to give them your credit card before they can start working on your computer. These types of identity theft scams can be very dangerous as they are not only targeting your financial information but also access your personal information. Undoing this can take a very long time and be very costly.
Grandparent Scam
A grandparent scam is when the caller claims to be a family member who needs money urgently and requests the victim to immediately wire money. The scammers are usually very convincing, having enough personal details about you and your family so they can make their stories sound believable.
This scam targets older individuals and can add credibility by speaking in the mother language of the potential victim.
Online Shopping Account Scam
Immigrants who just arrive in the U.S. usually have to order a lot of things for their new homes. With the popularity of online shopping, tricking people with “fake order phone calls” have increased as well. You receive an automated call allegedly from Amazon, Wayfair, Walmart, or other large online portals. The caller may state one of the following scenarios:
- We noticed some large shipping charges on your most recent order and want you to confirm it is correct
- Your credit card number has reported a charge of $xxx.xx and looks suspicious
- We believe this order for 10 Ipads could be fake and would like you to verify it so we can protect your account.
Once you press to confirm they are fake or give a voice confirmation, you are transferred to an account rep who claims they can help you if you confirm your personal information — so that they can complete the identity theft.
Check your account online to see if that order is actually there. It is better to deal with the chat through the online site to solve these matters.
Travel Scams
A travel scam is when someone calls you claiming to be a travel agent, offering you deals on tickets and cruises. If it’s too good to be true, it is.
Extended Warranty Scam
These are especially common. It used to be just for your car’s warranty but has now grown to include any appliance in your home. The price of many of them will be low to entice you but the services that are allegedly provided are non-existent. Do not be fooled by these promises of low prices, as they are just ways to obtain your credit card information.
Where to Report Phone Scams?
If you think you have fallen victim to a scam, here’s what you need to do.
How to Report a Phone Scam to the Federal Trade Commission
From the FTC website:
If you’ve lost money to a phone scam or have information about the company or scammer who called you, report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
If you didn’t lose money and just want to file a complaint, you can use the streamlined reporting form at DoNotCall.gov.
If you gave a scammer your Social Security number (SSN), visit IdentityTheft.gov to learn how to monitor your credit report to see if your SSN is being misused.
Contact Your Credit Card Company
Credit card companies put emergency phone numbers on the back of most cards. If you have any questions about a transaction you have made, call the number and ask for help in freezing the card or doing a “chargeback” for anything that you are worried about.
The longer you wait, the more time scammers have to raid your bank accounts and steal your money or rack up credit card charges.
Contact Your Bank
Every bank has an emergency 24 hotline to report lost or stolen credit cards, potential fraud, and potential scams. If you think you have been the victim of a scam, call them right away. They will work to protect your account, monitor bank credit cards for abuse, and stop a wire transfer the scammer may have started.
Other Ways to Protect Yourself from Scams
There are other steps you can take to minimize your encounters with scammers.
Passwords
Change your password regularly and do not use the same one for multiple sites, especially financial sites like banks or credit cards.
Register with the National Do Not Call Registry
Register at https://www.donotcall.gov/ to reduce the number of sales calls you receive.
Be Aware and Protect Yourself and Your Family
If you think you’ve been the target of a phone scam, it’s important to be aware of what is out there and take steps to avoid becoming a victim. By staying informed and vigilant, you can protect yourself from these scams and ensure that you are not taken advantage of.
Taking the time to educate yourself and your family members will help you protect your identity, finances, and well-being. Knowing what the latest scams for 2024 are is a good step in avoiding them. Follow the advice above and stay alert to keep you and your loved ones safe.
