Here are some examples of well-known frauds and scams that con artists continue to use. By knowing about them, you are less likely to fall for them.
Well-known Frauds & Scams
Calls demanding payment
Scammers call pretending to be from a government agency like the IRS or a company. They demand immediate payment or threaten to have you arrested.
What to do:
Do not engage these callers. If you think this could have been real, call the entity’s phone number found from a trusted source. Do not call back to the number that called you or which is displayed on the Caller ID.
Technical support scam
Someone claiming to be a computer technician calls to offer a security scan or says they detected a virus on your computer. The caller wants access to your computer. He or she gives you a website to go to. It’s a fake and gives the bad guy control of your computer and everything on it.
What to do:
Never provide remote access to your computer under these circumstances. Only allow remote access if you initiated the session through a verified company.
Fake website phishing scam
You receive an email or text message with a link to a website. The message may offer a prize or request account verification. It’s a fake. They hope to trick you into sharing information.
What to do:
Ignore these messages. Never provide account or personal information unless you are sure of the website. If the email or text contains a telephone number, do not call the number. It is just another part of the scam.
Caller ID spoofing
Scammers can change the number which appears on Caller ID to trick you. They may then ask for personal or account information.
What to do:
Don’t give out personal information on an incoming call. And don’t try to outsmart the bad guy by intentionally giving out wrong information. Just hang up and report it to the company or agency that supposedly contacted you. Call the entity’s phone number found from a trusted source.
"One-Ring" callback scam
Your phone rings one time. The number may look like a local call, because fraudsters can mask, or spoof, the real number. If you call back to see who called, you may be charged a fee. Many times these calls are placed from an international number which will result in you being charged international rates.
What to do:
Do not answer calls from numbers you do not recognize and do not ‘call back’ and return the call. This includes unknown numbers that send text messages. Do not call the number to ask what the text meant.
Prepaid Card scam
A caller offers you a deal on service you currently have – but they do not actually work for that company. They will try to get you to buy or send a prepaid debit or gift card to pay for the service. The caller may also offer you a rebate on services.
What to do:
Hang up immediately. Confirm the offer is valid by contacting the company directly.
Many of these typical tricks used to fool you include a bad guy posing as a representative from a company, agency or organization. Learn more about social engineering here.
Reporting Fraud
Fraudsters can try to take advantage of you by phone, email, text or social media. If you think a caller is trying to scam you, hang up. If you get a suspicious email or text, do not reply. If you suspect you are a target of fraud on your AT&T mobile phone account, you can report it to our Fraud team here. If you suspect fraud on another account, call the customer service number on your bill for help. You can also report unwanted text messages to us.
You may also report suspicious activity to the FTC and Anti-phishing working group.
To find out more about reporting fraud, check out our Resources page.