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Study Shows Phone Scammers Weaponize Your Stolen Data This Holiday SeasonLITTLE ROCK, Ark., Nov. 20, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- First Orion, a leading provider of communication transparency solutions, today announced the results of a consumer survey* that shows scammers are using new strategies to take advantage of consumers this holiday season. First Orion found that the most notable trend is "Enterprise Spoofing," which is when scammers utilize stolen data, obtained from the countless data breaches, to impersonate trusted businesses or charities. Click here for an infographic and more report information. Over 15 percent of those surveyed received a personalized scam call. Of those who experienced financial loss, 75 percent said the criminal knew some personal information about them prior to the call. Even though many people may not answer unknown numbers, it only takes one personalized scam call for consumers to be extorted. In the inaugural 2018 Scam Call Trends and Projections Report, First Orion predicted that nearly half of all calls to mobile phones will be fraudulent in 2019. This year the prediction rang true. More than half (52 percent) of consumers said they receive more spam calls than legitimate calls every day. Scammers spoof the organization's Caller ID and trick consumers into thinking the call is legitimate. Scam calls are often unpleasant interactions and end up damaging the impersonated company's reputation. Scammers who claim to work for charities are also effectively targeting consumers. In fact, of those who received a call from someone masquerading as charity, nearly 24 percent experienced financial loss. Of those surveyed, 30 percent reportedly received a scam call from someone claiming to be from the American Red Cross. Others impersonated by scammers include UNICE (19 percent) and The Salvation Army (17 percent). Nearly 22 percent reported scam callers posing as local first responders. To safely support these organizations, the FCC recommends visiting the charity's website to donate directly. Here are some direct links:
"The onslaught of data breaches armed scammers with enough stolen information to fabricate intricate and personalized scam calls," said Scott Hambuchen, chief information officer at First Orion. "With stolen personal data leaked in mass, consumers are being targeted by much more sophisticated and effective personalized scam calls. Here at First Orion, our mission is to provide mobile transparency technology that will not only protect you from scammers but also let you know who is calling and why." Other interesting facts include:
In addition to providing call protection solutions to major carriers and consumers, First Orion offers its Engage calling solution which ensures mobile customers know which business calls are safe to answer and why. First Orion delivers millions of verified and branded calls for businesses looking to provide better service to their customers. About First Orion First Orion and PrivacyStar are registered trademarks of First Orion Corp. All registered or unregistered trademarks are the sole property of their respective owners. *First Orion surveyed 1,000 mobile phone users in the United States Media Contact: View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/study-shows-phone-scammers-weaponize-your-stolen-data-this-holiday-season-300962423.html SOURCE First Orion |