An IT support provider in LA can be integral in helping your business avoid being taken in by scam phone calls. One way this is done is through an installation of applications like Truecaller and Mr. Number, but there are other strategies as well. But before engaging the help of a managed service provider (MSP), you need to understand the issue.
Spoofing
There are quite a few different over-the-phone scams out there. They play on ignorance as well as situational difficulties to get people in a place where they feel giving up information is right. Often these techniques are called “social engineering hacks”. However, spoofing uses multiple aspects of modern hacking to draw out the information its perpetrators seek.
First, some technology is manipulated to make your caller ID populate with a different phone number than the one the scammer is using. They may call a person from a number in their contacts that is seldom used but represents an old alliance. They may then insist on personal information for the sake of an emergency, hoping to trick the acquaintance.
Another common ruse involves deigning to authority for the sake of information scamming. In 2017, a coterie of scammers gained notoriety for calling elderly people telling them that they owed more on their taxes.
An IT support provider in LA is essential in such situations; scams like these tend to have a commonality to them which predicates certain replicated features. They also tend to go around the world like chain letters, as scammers must bounce between countries as prospects diminish.
What to Do
There are many strategies an MSP may advise you to help your company avoid such pernicious scams. Strategies differ per company, but there are general rules that keep firms safe. These include:
- Never give any personal information
- Do not allow yourself to be rushed
- Offer to call scammers back and check their number
- Ask to be removed from their list
- Always be alert for scams
- Report suspected scams to the FTC
You should never give personal information to someone trying to rush you into things. In fact, even in 2018, you want to be careful giving out information either online or over the phone. Sometimes, you call your own bank up, and then it is okay to give them your birth date or something of the like. But if your bank ever calls you demanding information, be cautious; this may be a scammer. Do not let them rush you, tell them you’ll call them back and ask for a number. Then research that number to see if it’s associated with your bank. Sometimes, scammers are legally operating through a loophole, but if you tell them not to call you, they have to oblige. Be alert for that, and always report suspected scams to the FTC.
IT support in LA through Advanced Networks can provide consultation and support to help you avoid scams. Contact us for the latest in technology solutions and professional advice that will help your business succeed.
