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Scams you need to know about
We're rounding up a few scams that consumers should be aware of.
LOS ANGELES - With the help of technology, scammers are tricking Americans out of more money than ever before.
In 2022, reported consumer losses to fraud totaled $8.8 billion — a 30 percent increase from 2021, according to the most recent data from the Federal Trade Commission.
Nowadays, scammers are developing more and more clever tactics to lure victims. BeenVerified analyzed over 150,000 complaints to reveal the top phone and text scams of the past two years, along with the area codes and phone carriers of choice for scammers.
In California, it turns out "213" is the top-reported area code for scam calls, according to the data.
Additionally, about 2 out of 3 scam calls in the Golden State come from a non-fixed VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) number. VOIP is the most common way that scam and spam callers try to connect with victims, accounting for between 59.04% and 76.00% of calls reported by users during that time frame, according to the data.
Onvoy is the top phone carrier used by phone scammers in California, followed by TextNow and Google.
To get these results, BeenVerified analyzed the call complaints logged on a free reverse phone lookup tool between July 1, 2021 and June 30, 2023.
But in addition to phone call scams, officials warn text scam messages remain a huge problem. Of the top 12 phone numbers users checked, nine were related to unwanted text messages trying to get users to click on a suspicious link or call a phone number, often with an urgent message.
Here are some important tips to better guard yourself against fraudulent phone calls, texts or emails:
- Check the phone number. Use a reverse phone tool to help determine if others have reported suspicious activity from the caller or number provided.
- Think before you react. If you click on a link or respond to the call, scammers know they may have a victim on the hook.
- Call companies directly to check fraud claims. Do not use links or phone numbers provided. Instead, check your card or account for the authorized fraud prevention number.
- Never provide personal information or account details. Remember, this is often the intent of scammers: To scare you into providing key details that will allow them to compromise your account.
To see the full study, tap or click here.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.