When your phone displays the name and number of a company you know and trust, it’s natural to assume the call is legitimate. Unfortunately, scammers are counting on that reaction.
Call spoofing, also known as caller ID spoofing, occurs when someone deliberately falsifies the information displayed on your caller ID to disguise who is actually calling. Scammers may make a call appear to come from a local number, a government agency, a familiar company, or even your bank. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) warns that scammers use spoofed calls in attempts to steal money or valuable personal information.
What are Scammers Trying to Accomplish?
The goal is usually to gain your trust quickly enough to persuade you to provide information or take an action you normally wouldn’t. A caller may claim there is suspicious activity on your account, an urgent problem with a payment or another issue requiring immediate attention.
For commercial customers, criminals may use similar tactics to impersonate a financial institution or other trusted business contact and attempt to obtain sensitive account or company information.
A common warning sign is urgency. A scammer may pressure you to act immediately, hoping that concern or fear will override your normal caution. The FCC specifically advises consumers to use caution when callers pressure them to provide information right away.
Stop. Hang Up. Call Back.
Remember, a familiar name or phone number on your caller ID does not guarantee that the call is legitimate. Caller ID information can be manipulated.
If you receive an unexpected or suspicious call that appears to be from us
- Do not provide personal, financial or account information.
- Do not provide passwords, PINs, security codes or other authentication information.
- Do not allow urgency or threats to pressure you into acting immediately.
- Hang up and contact us directly using a phone number you know is accurate, such as the number on your account statement, the back of your card or our official website.
- For businesses, make sure employees with access to financial information or payment processes know how to recognize and respond to suspicious calls.
The FCC recommends this same approach: if someone claims to represent a company or government agency, hang up and independently call a trusted number to verify the request.
Remain Vigilant
Technology can make a fraudulent call look surprisingly convincing, but it can’t force you to respond. Taking a moment to pause, question an unexpected request and independently verify the caller can help stop a scam before it succeeds.
When in doubt, hang up and call us directly. We’ll be happy to help you determine whether the communication is legitimate.
If you are ever unsure about a phone call claiming to be from GRB, please contact us by placing a call to a known GRB number.
