Nobody likes getting bombarded with robocalls. They’re annoying and often pushing scams for things like fake auto warranties and credit card debt relief programs. The FTC and law enforcement agencies from all 50 states are taking action to stop them. And you can help, too.
Last week, the FTC and its federal and state law enforcement partners announced Operation Stop Scam Calls, the latest joint effort in the fight against illegal robocalls. That announcement outlines the enforcement actions to stop multiple dishonest telemarketers, the companies that hire them, and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service providers that supply the technology for telemarketers to make millions of scammy robocalls.
Here’s how you can help:
- Know your rights. A robocall trying to sell you something is illegal unless the company has your written permission to call you that way. Read the FTC’s article Robocalls for more.
- Spot the scams that use illegal robocalls. Many illegal robocalls lead to scams. They might try to convince you the call is from the government, tech support, or your auto warranty company, but it’s not. It’s a scam. Listen to some examples of robocall scams.
- Hang up on phone scams. Some scammers will call you and say you won a prize but you have to pay to get it. (Don’t. It’s a scam.) Or the scammer may say that you’ll be arrested for money you owe and must pay immediately. (That’s also a scam.) Hang up or delete the voicemail. Don’t press any number or call back. For more advice, read Phone Scams.
- Report scams and illegal robocalls. This is where most people stop. Reporting helps law enforcement and investigators stop scams and illegal robocalls, but it is inconvenient and time-consuming to do. Report scams at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and report illegal robocalls at DoNotCall.gov. This will help law enforcement target those targeting you.
What has been reported to abuse@uthsc.edu this past week?
- IT-Desk: Mailbox Is Full- Incident #812241212-New-Messages May Return – from a compromised account from another UT campus, this is an example of spotting a phish with poor grammar (and also, our ITS Service Desk does not call themselves “IT-Desk”.
- [Ext] Task – this is the start of another gift card scam, spoofing the name of someone on campus that needs someone else to “do a favor”.
- [Ext] Did you send a cancellation letter to discard invoice no 01066109 – this phish is an auto-renewal scam stating you will be charged unless you dispute. Bad grammar is not found only in Subject lines. Read the start of the email – “Dear I make the effort to notify you that your membership finishes today because of the fact that I acknowledge you are energetic as well as likewise you want to say many thanks to everybody for their payments over the last 5 years.”
- [Ext] Your order is on its way 06234296 – this is another auto-renewal scam. The red flag on this one is how they stated their company’s address – “7002 Reed Rd FL United States”.
- [Ext] Hi – this phish is an attempt to change someone’s banking information for direct deposit, sent to someone directly in HR, who caught and reported the scam.
- [Ext] Re: Change DD Information -another attempt to change someone’s payroll banking information.
- [Ext] I have investigated your order no 97680436 from top to bottom – another auto-renewal scam. Top to bottom? That is not how a reputable company would discuss an investigation. Also, English is not their first language with statements like “Please keep in mind that it has been a year taking into consideration that you initially utilized its solutions, in addition to we believe you might recall in addition to dream you had upgraded your registration”.
- [Ext] Scheduled INFLW Wire: Confidential Message July 19, 2023 – this phish attempted to mimic DocuSign to get the recipient to click on a link.
Keep reporting suspicious emails to abuse@uthsc.edu for examination. If you wish to report an incident to the Office of Cybersecurity, use TechConnect.