I’m a cybersecurity expert – these are the phone calls you should NEVER answer

Scam calls are an all too common tactic used by fraudsters to trick unsuspecting victims into giving up their personal information.

But the good news is that there is an easy way to avoid falling victim to fraudulent cold callers, as certain area codes are more likely to be associated with scams than others.

Scammers previously used a 900 number to target people because the code is often associated with trusted entertainment or information services such as TV and broadband providers.

But cybersecurity expert Joseph Steinberg warns that there are now nearly 20 other area codes to be wary of.

“Criminals have been known to use caller IDs with, for example, the area code 473, which looks like a domestic number but is actually the area code for the island of Grenada,” he said. Reader’s Digest.

It’s also worth being extra vigilant if the area code 809 – which also comes from the Caribbean – pops up on your screen.

Many of these scam phone numbers are particularly dangerous because they have a +1 country code, so victims think they are receiving a domestic call, but in fact they are from areas of the United States.

For example, Steinberg says to look out for calls coming from area codes 242, which comes from the Bahamas, 876, which comes from Jamaica, and 809, 829, and 849 — from the Dominican Republic.

According to Truecaller, which has an app that blocks fraudulent calls, nearly 70 million Americans lost money to phone scams last year — with a total loss of nearly $40 billion.

If you accidentally answer a call from one of these area codes, you may also be charged for answering a call from abroad.

Steinberg says the best way to avoid being scammed or incurring additional charges is to never answer or return a call from a number you don’t recognize.

“Remember, it’s unlikely that someone you don’t know — who is in distress in a location you’re unfamiliar with — will call a random number in another country and ask you to help them,” he said. Reader’s Digest. “They would call the police.”

But if you’re being charged for recording a scam call, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recommends contacting your phone company and asking to have erroneous charges removed.

It’s important to remember that scammers can also create fake phone numbers through a process called “spoofing.”

This cunning technology allows crooks to replicate numbers from many area codes to impersonate your bank, telecom provider, or a government agency such as the IRS.

Remember that your bank will never cold call you to ask for your personal information over the phone. If this happens, it’s probably a scam and you should hang up immediately.

The warning comes amid a frightening increase in hoax callers using increasingly extreme tactics.

Last month, an Arizona mother received a call from an unknown number with what sounded like her daughter screaming in the background, and a “kidnapper” demanding a $1 million ransom.

In reality, her daughter was safe on a skiing trip and her voice had been cloned by AI technology.

Earlier this year, a Pennsylvania woman also issued a stark warning after she was tricked into sending $500 to a bogus caller who claimed he kidnapped her sister.

Beth Royce said she was awakened by a call that appeared to be from her sister, but was an impostor.

She described her “terrifying” experience on social media in an effort to prevent the same from happening to others.