Caller ID spoofing is when scammers deliberately disguise their phone numbers to look like someone else’s such as a local company or government agency that you may already know & trust. These scammers will attempt to gather personal information from you, such as credit card information. 

It is unlikely that you will be able to tell right away if an incoming call is spoofed, as the caller ID shows up to be official, and the scammer can know things like employee names and impersonate them. With an understanding of how caller ID spoofing works, you may wonder how to spot a spoofed call. After all, the point of caller ID spoofing is to trick you into thinking you’re talking to someone else. With that in mind, there are still some red flags you can watch out for whenever you receive an incoming call, including: 

• If you recognize the caller ID display name but not the associated phone number.
• An alleged worker at your bank or credit union asks you to call a number that is not associated with the financial institution that they work at.
• You’re asked to share your login credentials or a one-time login verification pin.
• A scammer may employ a sense of urgency within you and use caller ID spoofing to pose as a friend in danger. Here, the scammer may inform you that they are in a desperate situation and need money as soon as possible.
• You receive a message with an unusual call-to-action, and the scammer uses familiar corporate branding like similar colors and logos to make it appear real.
• It depends on if you’re greeted by a recording or a live caller. Spoofed caller ID calls may be used to trick you into giving up personal information, such as your Social Security number or credit card information.
• If the display name on the caller ID differs from your stored contact information.
• Websites with a URL that is very similar to the URL of a reputable site, or websites with typos and incorrect grammar.

If you notice one or more of these warning signs when dealing with an incoming call or a received email, it’s best to treat it as spoofed and ignore it, and let your financial institution know something is happening.

Scammers can make it look like they’re calling from anywhere, even Money One FCU. If you’re suspicious, verify the call by hanging up and calling us directly. Here are some ways you can help protect yourself:

• Avoid answering unknown numbers. Even if the caller ID display name seems familiar, they are still unknown, and they could be a scammer in disguise.
• Don’t hit any buttons. If you happen to answer a spoofed call, avoid pressing anything or following any of their instructions, and hang up immediately.
• Stay silent. If you end up answering a call that you’re unsure about, stay silent and hang up as soon as you can in order to avoid accidentally giving up any personal information. Never share personal information over the phone with an unknown caller, and keep in mind financial institutions will never ask you for personal information over the phone.
• Keep your information private. When you’re talking to someone you don’t know, avoid sharing any personal information, as scammers could use it for malicious purposes such as identity theft or fraud.
• Block any spam numbers that try to get into contact with you.
• Use a spam blocking app provided by your cell phone carrier if you feel as though you cannot manually block all of the ones you receive.
• Use two-factor authentication and/or biometric logins (your face or fingerprint) whenever possible.
• Use strong, unique passwords across all of your accounts.

If you have been targeted, or even fallen for one of these scams, here is what you can do in order to help yourself:

• Set a new voicemail message. If your own number has been spoofed, it helps to do this so that anyone that calls you can hear you explain the situation, even if it’s via voicemail message.
• Block or silence all unknown callers. Use either a call-blocking service or your phone’s settings and block or silence all unknown callers that you don’t recognize. This will help minimize the amount of both random people calling you thinking that they are going to reach someone else, or a scammer trying to reach out and trick you.
• Report the situation to the FCC, as well as your local authorities.
• Report this to your financial institution right away as well so that you can receive help in securing your account if you gave out confidential information related to your finances.
• If you believe your identity has been stolen, check out identitytheft.gov to learn what your next step should be.
• Change the passwords on all your accounts to protect them from further attacks.

Also keep in mind that spoofing is not just through phone calls. You can be targeted via email, websites, and deepfakes as well. 

• In email spoofing, the scammer sends an email message trying to come across as a known or trusted source. These emails will typically link to harmful websites, which criminals use to steal your sensitive data, or attachments that will infect the victim’s device with malware. Malware is software designed to gain unauthorized access to someone’s device, such as a smart phone or computer, to steal personal information.
• In website spoofing, a scammer will create a fake site that looks just like a reputable website that the victim often visits, such as a bank landing page. These attackers will lure victims to this site so that they can steal their login credentials and personal information. You can verify a website is secure by checking the website address. If it starts with “https” and displays a lock icon next to the URL (the website address), it is safe. Don’t put in your personal information to these sites unless you’re entirely sure it’s safe.
• Deepfakes are a relatively new and dangerous tool for spoofers. A deepfake is a fake image, video, or audio clip that has been edited to appear entirely real. A scammer may create a deepfake video using an image or audio recording of a celebrity, or even a bank worker if they have enough information on them, and make it appear as if they are telling you to open a link or support a specific cause, only for it to be a scam. All of the red flags, protection tips, and help tips will still apply to these as well.

If you think you’ve been a victim, you file a complaint with the FCC.  

Stay safe and diligent during these times.