How Spam Calls Have Changed During The Pandemic Period?

While many people are doing their best to help others amid the coronavirus crisis, some unscrupulous opportunists are out to take advantage wherever they can. That said, phone frauds and scam calls are increasing day by day.

Perhaps you’re quite savvy about scam calls already and are always reluctant to take calls from unknown numbers. However, the pandemic period is a time where each of us is heavily dependent on phone calls to stay connected with people, handle enquiries about shopping orders, receive medical test results and more.

It’s worth being aware of what sort of phone scams are happening at present, just in case you end up being targeted. So what excuses are phone scammers using during this time?

Common examples of coronavirus scams

• Some scammers are sadly targeting vulnerable people in countries where medical equipment and resources are inadequate or in short supply. An example is being offered priority medical treatment or coronavirus testing kits in exchange for a deposit taken from your credit card.
• Some scammers are targeting families, in particular, calling them on the pretext of refunding purchases or postponing holidays and travel. Some are even offering free holidays!
• Another very convincing phone scam is where fraudsters pretend to be from a government institution and ask you for an activation code that is sent to you from their email address. The email looks authentic, complete with government branding.
• Other scams that don’t necessarily always occur over the phone, but are still essential to know about, include the rise of fake products, charity donation scams, fake online dating profiles, and counterfeit refunds for travel tickets.

Quick tips for avoiding coronavirus scams

• Stay alert. Be mindful that scams are on the rise and that if something sounds too good to be true, it usually is.
• Don’t hand over any personal details over the phone, or online, if you’re not 100% sure where the request is coming from.
• Ensure you only buy from reputable websites and be extra careful when purchasing through social media platforms like Facebook or Instagram.
• Don’t click any links on emails that look suspicious, for example, if addressed to Dear Sir or Madam.
• Download Getcontact to make doing all of the above a whole lot easier.

Download Getcontact and protect yourself from coronavirus scams

Getcontact is a caller identification and spam protection app. Millions of users all around the world use Getcontact to block and report spam calls.

Getcontact warns you if the number you’ve been called from is likely to be spam, a scam, telemarketing or disruptive. You can also choose to block and report unsolicited phone calls via the app to help others.