(Newswire.net — November 30, 2019) — Today’s criminals are more sophisticated than ever before. They can use fake numbers to conceal their identity, to pose as someone they’re not with malicious intent.
There are many common scams targeting the elderly. However, scams can strike just about anyone, something that can be concerning for the unaware. Being oblivious can leave you wide open to identity theft, or other sensitive information being stolen against you will. It’s important to acknowledge how calls from private, blocked or No Caller ID numbers can represent high-risk situations.
One way to keep yourself out of harm’s way is by screening for fake numbers and fake callers, to ensure you’re not susceptible to the dangers of unfamiliar/blocked phone calls.
Who Called You?
More and more people are making calls from blocked/unknown numbers. Though in most cases these will be legitimate contacts, in the worst-case scenario you could end up in a precarious position.
There are a number of potential callers who would use an unknown number/blocked caller ID:
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A scammer
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An Ex-partner
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A dissatisfied business associate
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A prankster
These are unwanted callers who could represent an intrusion of privacy, threatening your sense of security dramatically. With this knowledge on board, you can appreciate the importance of finding out who called you.
How Can You Reveal the Identity of an Unwanted Caller?
Reverse phone lookups are a recommended approach. But it can be difficult to determine who really called you from a blocked, no caller ID or private number. That’s because the number will be unavailable when someone has called from a blocked caller ID.
An innovative method for keeping yourself out of harm’s way, is to download a third-party app like TrapCall. Doing so will enable you to unmask the phone number you’ve been called from, to equip you with the information necessary to hold the caller accountable.
Apps like these offer peace of mind, where suspicious, anonymous calls are unmasked.
Performing a Reverse Number Lookup
Once you’ve used an app like TrapCall to reveal the number of your caller, you can perform a reverse number lookup. This can be executed by simply typing the number in question into Google and observing the results.
Here you’ll probably discover the number linking to a particular page, or perhaps encounter other parties reporting the number as bogus.
You can also use an app like TrapCall to find out who has called you, by navigating to the ‘Lookup’ tab and entering the number in question. This will bring up all the relevant information about someone who called you.
Alternatively, you can use a website like PhoneLookUp.com, where you can uncover information about people who’ve phoned you from mobile phones or landlines. Other free number lookup services can be limited, but with those that offer an address and name, you can identify other data like email addresses or company data which will offer maximum value.
Once you’ve uncovered the true identity of your caller, you should focus on taking steps to prevent them calling you again:
Stopping Unwanted Callers From Calling You Again
So getting hold of the number and finding out who they truly are is one thing. But how exactly should you go about preventing them from calling you again?
Fortunately, you can leverage the power of your app to block unwanted callers. This means they’ll never bother you again! Blacklisting features are promising, offering the ultimate in peace of mind and keeping you out of harm’s way.
You can simply select ‘add to blacklist’ on numbers you’ve identified and you’ll be right as rain.
Avoid Being a Target
By utilizing the measures outlined throughout this article, you’ll receive invaluable information which allows you to work out who’s calling you. In fact, you can position yourself to take extra action against your harasser, contributing to a safer environment for others.
Bring the powers of harassment to a halt, putting those scammers to bed by remaining one step ahead! By leveraging the power of technology we can beat the hackers one step at a time.