The ‘tempting’ mistake iPhone & Android owners must never make on a phone call – or risk terrifying bank-emptying attack

IF you suspect you’re on the phone to a scammer, or you’ve caught them in the act, it’s understandable if you want to give them a piece of your mind.

But telling them off is the last thing you should do.

The Sun

Vogel sympathises with the trail of victims scammers leave behind, but urges people to simply hang up the phone when they encounter them[/caption]

As Charlotte Vogel, an operations research analyst and former victim of a Facebook scam, on Quora puts it: “When you make threats back, you might be offering valuable “out of wallet” information.

“It may be tempting to bring out the big guns like “I’ll get you, I’m a lawyer” or “How dare you, my dad is a cop” or “Just wait until my Army husband, Bill, gets home.”

“But think about what you’ve just said. Yes, more information about yourself.”

Scammers are savvy like this.

They are professional criminals, and will use any “nugget” of information against you, Vogel explains.

These snippets about your personal life, profession, partner, even your country of residence, can help build a profile that cyber crooks will use to manufacture increasingly convincing scams to target you with.

“Suddenly, you’re no longer just a random phone number,” Vogel cautions.

“You’re Jane Smith, [Social Security Number] 123-45-6789. You’re a lawyer, and your dad is a cop. You live at 123 Elm Street, Anytown, USA 12345 (since that address matches your phone number). Your spouse’s name is Bill, and he works for the government.”

Scammers may also use what you’ve blindly revealed in a blaze of fury in combination with more information from your social media profiles.

“That data – especially once its been matched with more data which can be found in other places, such as social media sites or from a recent hack – is incredibly valuable,” adds Vogel.

To avoid this scenario, make sure your social media pages have the highest level of security so only your friends and family can see your information.

These are not nice people. Your threats, bad language, telling them off? They’ve likely heard and said worse.

Charlotte Vogel, victim of a Facebook scam

Vogel sympathises with the trail of victims scammers leave behind, but urges people to simply hang up the phone when they encounter them.

“I know that it makes you feel better to tell off a scammer but at the end of the day, it doesn’t bother them,” she says.

“Understand that these people are thieves. They are preying on vulnerable people – typically the elderly, students, and immigrants – who they feel they can bully. 

“These are not nice people. Your threats, bad language, telling them off? They’ve likely heard and said worse.”