Shut your mouth.
If you unknowingly answer a spam call, your first impulse might be to yell at the scammer on the other end.
Experts strongly advise against doing so.
Operations research analyst Charlotte Vogel is one of them. Quora It has warned users about the incident and cautioned them not to engage with possible scammers in any manner.
That’s because you could accidentally reveal more personal information than the joker on the other end of the phone already knows, putting you at even greater risk.
“I don’t think you should get involved with scammers because if you do, you’re giving them two pieces of information. [they’ve] If you call an available number, they will answer your call,” she said.
The best approach is to simply hang up the phone rather than trying to make a rational or annoyed statement, which could “give away confidential information about yourself.”
“Remember, identity theft is not just a one-time crime of taking money or stealing a tax refund check — it’s an industry,” she pointed out.
Databases of your information are slowly being compiled by bad actors and then “stored, repackaged and sold from scammer to scammer.” Even just answering the phone gives away more information, making your indulgence “valuable to a scammer who may try again later” and “may sell your phone number to the highest bidder,” she said.
“You might be tempted to overstate things like, ‘I’ll get you, I’m a lawyer,’ or ‘How dare you say that, my dad’s a cop,’ or ‘Just wait until my husband, Bill, who’s in the military, gets home,'” Vogel continued. “But consider what I just said: Yes, more information about yourself.”
You might also accidentally say things like, “Don’t call me at home” or “Don’t call me at work,” she adds, which just gives the scammer more information.
Even if no money is asked for, simply verifying personal information such as your phone number, address, or Social Security number gives criminals more ammunition.
“This additional information helps build a profile of you, and some of your data is matched with other data,” Vogel says.
“Suddenly, you’re not just a random phone number. You’re Jane Smith, your Social Security number is 123-45-6789. You’re a lawyer and your dad’s a cop. You live at 123 Elm Street, Anytown, USA 12345 (because this address matches your phone number). Your spouse’s name is Bill and he works for the government.”
All they have to do is match the information you’ve just provided with any existing data they have, whether it’s gleaned from social media profiles or a recent hack, and you’ll be at even greater risk.
Needless to say, hackers most likely don’t care about your anger.
“Please understand that these people are thieves. They prey on vulnerable people whom they feel they can bully – typically the elderly, students and immigrants,” she wrote. onlineHe added that they also try to “blackmail” victims into handing over money or confidential information.
“They are not nice people. Your threats, foul language, scolding? They have probably heard and said much worse. You are not upsetting them one bit. Don’t waste your time.”
