This article explains how to handle unwanted calls and what to do when you receive calls that are requesting personal or financial information that could compromise your identity or accounts.

Recognizing and Reporting Spam Calls:

Scammers often use phone calls to steal personal or financial information — things like your password, account number, credit card information, Social Security number, etc. If they get that information, they could gain access to your email, bank, or other accounts. Furthermore, they could sell your information to other scammers. Calls may appear to come from known contacts or organizations, so it is crucial to verify their authenticity. If a call seems suspicious, it's best to avoid engaging.

Useful Terms:

• Spam Calls – Unsolicited calls, often from unknown numbers, trying to sell products or commit fraud.
• Phishing – The fraudulent practice of calling or sending messages purporting to be from reputable companies in order to induce individuals to reveal personal information, such as passwords and credit card numbers.
• Smishing –  The fraudulent practice of sending text messages purporting to be from reputable companies in order to induce individuals to reveal personal information, such as passwords or credit card numbers.
  (For more information about Smishing and how to protect against it, see THIS ARTICLE.)
• Vishing – The fraudulent practice of making phone calls or leaving voice messages purporting to be from reputable companies in order to induce individuals to reveal personal information, such as bank details and credit card numbers.
• Spoofing – Calls made to appear as if they originate from a trusted or local number to increase the likelihood of being answered. 
• Robocalls – Automated calls with prerecorded messages, often promoting scams or illegal schemes. 

 

What to Do if You Receive a Spam Call?

If you believe you're receiving a spam call, do the following:

1. Identify Suspicious Calls: 

• Avoid engaging with calls from unknown or suspicious numbers. 
• Scammers often pressure you to act quickly or demand sensitive information. 

2. Protect Your Information: 

• Avoid sharing personal, bank, or credit card details over the phone. 
• Legitimate organizations will not demand payment through cryptocurrency, wire transfer services, gift cards, or payment apps. 

3. Verify Claims: 

• For tuition or financial claims, check secure student portals or contact the financial aid or billing office directly using a verified number. 

4. Don’t Trust Caller ID: 

• Scammers can spoof numbers to make calls appear legitimate, even mimicking on-campus numbers. 

5. Take Immediate Action: 

• If a call seems suspicious, hang up immediately without providing any information. 

6. If Personal Information Is Shared: 

• Visit IdentityTheft.gov to take corrective steps. 
• For SLU-related incidents, report to ask.slu.edu immediately. 
• For any information security threats to SLU:
  • In case of any information security related incident, report on ask.slu.edu.
    After you create a ticket, it will be assigned to Information Security.
  • In case of an emergency, report an information security incident by calling the Service Desk
    at 314-977-4000. 
  • If you have provided personal information, contact the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

Technical Guidance:

1. Block Spam Calls on Your Device 

• For iPhone: 
  • Open the Phone app and navigate to the Recents list. 
  • Tap the i icon next to the suspicious number. 
  • Select Block This Caller.
• For Android: 
  • Open the Phone app and access Call History. 
  • Touch and hold the spam number. 
  • Tap Block/Report Spam and confirm. 
• For Other Apps (e.g., Microsoft Teams, WhatsApp): 
  • Use the in-app option to block or report the caller. 
• For International Students Using Non-US Carriers: 
  • Contact your carrier to inquire about call-blocking options. 
  • Use apps like Nomorobo and Hiya, as they cover most of the functionality needed to identify and block spam calls internationally. 

2. Check Carrier Options: 

• Visit ctia.org or your carrier’s website for tools and apps to block calls. 

Protect Your Devices:

Any software you use to protect your devices must be kept updated. New risks and security vulnerabilities are discovered daily. It is best to use software that scans your device to find and remove potential threats. To keep your devices safe:

• Keep your operating system updated.
• Keep your browser updated.
• Keep other software updated (Run Software Updates).
• Use security software to scan for potential threats.
   

Robocall and Spam Protection Resources:

Additional Tips to Stay Safe: 

• Don’t share bank or credit card information under pressure scammers often demand quick payments through suspicious methods like cryptocurrency or gift cards. 
• Don’t trust caller ID scammers can spoof numbers to appear legitimate. 
• Verify tuition balances using secure student portals or by contacting the financial aid or billing office directly. 

Protect Your Personal Information:

• Never use personal information as passwords such as your name, birthday, username, or email address.
  • Use a longer password.
  • Don't use the same password for each account.
• Smartphones, tablets, and other web-enabled devices also need protection.
  • Check the reviews and safety ratings before downloading mobile apps. 
• Enabling multi-factor authentication (MFA) to verify your identity when logging into any of your applications, especially your financial accounts.
• You can use cloud services to save your information.

 

Why Am I Getting Spam Calls?

Spam calls are often generated using software that automates dialing random numbers or exploiting leaked phone numbers from online activities. Your number may be targeted because: 

• Even if you have a brand-new number, you may still receive robocalls and robotexts since they have different technologies that can automate the calls or texts.
• Social networking sites that are widely used and  are known to keep track of your online activities and share that information with advertising.
• There is a good probability that your phone number is in numerous marketing databases if you make it public on any of the social media, B2B/B2C marketplace websites, ecommerce etc.
• You may have shared your phone number through online forms, competitions, loyalty programs, surveys, and other events. Every time you disclose your cell phone number online, there is a potential threat that it might get use for a spam. 
• Your phone number was probably marked as legitimate and could have been sold to other spammers if you've ever unintentionally or purposefully reacted to a spam text message. This increases the likelihood that you'll continue to receive spam text messages.