Americans receive four billion robocalls every month, with the average individual getting 14 calls each week.
Sean Voskuhl with AARP said phone calls and text messages are the second and third-most frequent methods of contact reported to the Federal Trade Commission.
“The average victim of a phone scam lost $1,500 and the average text scam victim lost $1,000. Comparatively, the victims of email scams, the most frequently-used contact method, lost an average of $600. It’s clear that despite technological advances, automated phone calls and texts remain among the most popular way to target older Americans.”
While not all robocalls are fraudulent, Voskuhl said there are three common elements to a scam.
“There’s always time pressure. Something has to be handled with no delay. There’s a threat of loss, either for the victim or someone close to the victim. There’s also a promise of a gain, financial or otherwise. One or all of these elements mean you should be very cautious about who you’re dealing with.”
Voskuhl recommends three ways to cut down on scam calls.
“Add a call blocker. Check with your telephone provider about options, many of which come at no cost. You can also let unfamiliar phone numbers go to voicemail. If it’s a legitimate call, they’ll leave a message. Otherwise, the easiest method is to hang up if you don’t know who they are. You can also get any fraud questions answered at answers.aarp.org.”
If you think you or someone you know has been scammed, contact:
-
the AARP Fraud Watch Helpline (877-908-3360),
-
the Better Business Bureau Scam Tracker (https://www.bbb.org/scamtracker), or
-
your State Attorney General’s Office Consumer Protection Division (SD: 1-800-300-1986).
Comments