Protecting Yourself from Call Spoofing

Scammers use various methods to trick people into picking up their calls and acquiring their valuable personal information. Call spoofing is when a scammer disguises themselves as a trusted or local number to gain access to sensitive information.

Protect yourself from call spoofing:

  • Put your university and personal phone numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry list. This won't prevent fraudsters from reaching out to you, but it will stop telemarketing calls.
  • Ignore calls from unknown phone numbers. If it's a legitimate call, they will leave you a voicemail, and you can return that phone call.
  • If you answer the phone and the caller—or a recording—asks you to press a button to stop getting the calls or speak with an operator, just hang up. Scammers often use this trick to identify potential targets.
  • Never give out personal information like account numbers, Social Security numbers, mother's maiden names, passwords, or other identifying information in response to unexpected calls or if you are at all suspicious.

If you think you've been the victim of a phone scam, file a complaint with the FCC.

Securing our campus community is an ongoing effort as cybercriminals continue to evolve their efforts. In this era of persistent cyber threats, our university can be secure only with the active participation of everyone. Simple steps like securing your passwords, storing data securely in OneDrive and avoiding and reporting suspicious messages can go a long way toward protecting our campus community. To learn more, visit the Cybersecurity Checklist.   

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