Scammers Targeting Tulsa Business Owner’s Personal Cellphones
Key Points:
- When did Citizens Bank start texting Tulsa business owners’ personal cellphones?
- How do scammers target personal cell phones?
- Scammers use these two methods to target their phones.
- What can hackers do with your cell phone number?
- How to protect yourself from scammers?
Personal cell phones have always been a target of scammers. These criminals will stop at nothing to obtain your number to commit a crime for personal gain. It doesn’t matter if it’s for business or personal use.
What’s worse is the latest phishing text message scam supposedly from Citizens Bank. To see a perfect example of this genuine text message scam in action, check out what Mike discovered when he clicked on the link inside this video.
How Do Scammers Target Personal Cellphones?
Scammers use all kinds of tricks to target personal and business cell phones. The most popular are spoofed area codes and auto-dialers that can fool most people into answering their phones. Should the recipient answer, the criminal knowingly attempts to persuade them into providing personal information. Often, they are so persuasive that the victim willingly tells them everything.
What is most surprising is that unless you know what’s taking place, the scam artists will have retrieved your name, age, and birth date. But if they’re good at scamming people, potentially your bank account information or credit card numbers are now in their possession. Our best advice, if you don’t recognize the number calling you, decline it and block that number.
Scammers Use These Two Methods To Target Your Phone
Identity thieves are very clever when getting you to answer your cell phone. There are numerous ways they try. However, the top two most successful methods are robocalls and SMS phishing, also known as Smishing which is a text message scam.
A robocall is when your cell phone rings and you don’t recognize the phone number. If the area code is in your area, you may answer the call thinking someone you know has a new number. However, the person on the other end is no one you recognize, and they begin asking you questions to gain your trust.
SMS phishing is when you receive a text message from an unknown number. With this attempt, they’re trying to gain your trust in the hopes of stealing your personal information. Inside that message, the sender wants you to click on a link or call them back. Our best advice for both methods is not to respond or answer the phone and block the numbers.
What Can Hackers Do With Your Cell Phone Number?
Should you think your cell phone number won’t reveal personal information about you, well, we hate to say it. It might surprise you that your business or personal cellphone number is probably listed online. That allows scam artists an easier way to obtain more information about you without your knowledge.
The simplest way a scammer can gather more information about you or your business is to use your number at any popular “people search” websites. These websites collect all forms of information about individuals and companies. Once a hacker has the data, they can stalk you, steal your identity, or blackmail you.
What a people search site does is purchase your personal information. Then they sell that information to businesses, individuals, and in many instances, an unknown hacker. The type of data found on these websites is your home or business address, criminal records, bankruptcies, phone numbers, family members, and their addresses.
How To Protect Yourself From Scammers?
As a Tulsa business owner, you have so much on your plate. The last thing you need is a scammer or hacker targeting your personal cell phone and trying to steal your personal information. Should this happen, you do have options to stop these criminals.
- Contact your cell phone service provider and let them know what happened.
- You may need to freeze your line temporarily, so your number isn’t usable.
- Contact anyone who may have your number, and let them know your phone got hacked.
- Update all contact information immediately where your number is listed or shown.
- Document and date each step you took and the people you notified in case the authorities call.
If it’s not mining your private data, scammers want to reroute and spoof your number for personal gain. It doesn’t bother them to send text message scams, impersonate you, send spyware to those you know, or pretend they’re from Citizens Bank.
At NSN Management, we understand how these criminals operate and the steps we take to stop them. If you’ve recently experienced scammers targeting your cell phone, or you’ve been a victim of the Citizens Bank phishing scam, contact us or call (918) 770-7400 today for assistance!