The phone rings and an unknown number from abroad appears. What can you do best and especially what not? Criminals try to strike through all kinds of digital ways. They always invent new, fraudulent tricks. For example, a new fake email is in circulation almost every week .

Tips against abuse
Scammers sometimes try to collect data or money via telephone. If you are being called by someone who acts as an employee of a bank, you must be on your guard. Bank employees never ask for your PIN code or personal details over the phone, so if you are asked to do so, you should never give this.

In addition, it often happens that people get calls from someone who claims to work for Microsoft. This person says he can help solve computer problems. Never, however, grant access to your computer, do not install a program and never pass on your (bank) data.

You may also be stalked by telephone numbers from abroad. Do not answer foreign numbers that you do not trust, and do not call these numbers back at all. These are often fraudulent payment numbers with very high rates, so you can spend a lot of money. The moment you are called by someone who insists on passing on personal information, chances are that this is a scammer. Especially when asked about your bank account number, credit card or BSN number, you can hang up the phone.

There are many common comments mentioned by the caller, indicating that you have a scammer on the phone. Here you can think of the following remarks:

  • You have been specially selected (for this offer).
  • You will receive a nice gift when you buy the product.
  • You are one of the lucky winners.
  • You have won a prize in a foreign lottery.
  • You must make a decision immediately.

Telemarketers must, according to the law, state that this is a sales conversation. The salesperson must also tell his name and the company he works for. If this is not told, you can hang up the phone.

If you do not want to receive unsolicited phone calls, you can register in the Call Me Not. If you are registered in this, companies may no longer approach you by telephone for commercial, idealistic or charitable purposes.

Advice
First of all, it is of course advisable not to record or call back if you receive an unknown, foreign call. In fact, some did not even have their phone in their pocket when they called. According to internet experts, it is possible that certain Android apps (often free games) automatically give permission for calls, but this is rare. It is of course possible that criminals have found a new way themselves.

The Cell Phone Lookup
If you have been called by a number you do not know, there are several ways to find out who or which company is the number. Usually the first digits of a telephone number show where the connection is located. The first numbers indicate the continent, then the country, then the place and the district.

It is wise to look up the number in Google but if you didn't find enough information on Google, there are better ways to perform cell phone lookup. You may see more complaints or the number is already known as fraudulent. If this is the case, you can block the number and inform your provider. Providers have the possibility to block a foreign number of criminals for all its users.

Author's Bio: 

Misty Jhones