International Telephone Scams

Telephone scams can occur against tourists visiting or expats living abroad. Below are some of the most common scams used by criminals.

You receive an email that tells you that you have just won a prize. However, in order to redeem the prize you must call a toll free 800 number. However, when you call the number you are unknowingly routed to a number which charges you by the minute. Another incident involves you calling an 800 number and asked to provide your credit card information to the caller on the other end. This is actually is credit card fraud scheme used to steal your information.

Another Scam: You receive a call or email stating that there is a family emergency and that you should call a number immediately. Although the telephone number may look like a local number from your home country, it’s actually a number that criminals are using to illegally charge you by the minute.

Your phone rings and the caller on the other end states that you are the winner of an international lottery. “When did I enter an international lottery?” you think. The caller then tells you that the winnings are in the amount of $10 million dollars and all you have to do is provide you name, date of birth, social security, and bank account information so that he/she may verify that you are indeed the authorized recipient.

A police officer or special agent will call and inform you that your account numbers (bank or credit cards) have been found online or during the search of a criminals home and you will be asked to verify the numbers. Many victims fall for this by informing the caller that he/she has the wrong account numbers and then give the caller their correct account numbers.

This scam is usually targeted at expats. A caller will call during day time hours between 3 and 5 PM when they know that you are still at work; however, your children are home from school. The caller, hoping to get your children on the line, will ask these questions:

• Are you alone?
• What time do your parents get home?
• Who lives at the home?
• Where do your parents put the keys?
• Do you have any pets?

What the caller is doing is targeting your home for a future burglary or home invasion.

What To Do

Here are some tips to help you from becoming a victim of these telephone scams.

Check your phone bill often to ensure there are no suspicious charges. If there are, call your phone company immediately to further inquire the charges.

Don’t call back telephone numbers that you are unsure of the identity of the caller’s location.

Never give out personal information like dates of birth, social security numbers, credit card numbers, or bank account numbers to unknown callers.

Be aware that many of these scams involve telephone numbers with the following area codes: 809, 758, and 664.

If you are an expat and have children with you abroad, teach them not to give out information over the phone to unknown callers.

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