Phone phishing - or voice phishing - is the use of fraudulent phone calls to trick people into giving money or divulging personal information. It's a new name for an old problem - telephone fraud. Phone phishing often involves a criminal masquerading as a representative of a newcomer organization, company, or government agency. You may be asked if you want to buy an extended warranty, offered a “free” vacation, told that your computer is infected and you need to buy anti-virus software, or asked to make a donation to a charity. New Crown Virus and Phone/Voice Phishing Scammers and fraudsters are trying to take advantage of the New Crown Virus epidemic by tricking people by pretending to be from government or health organizations, hospitals or insurance companies. To appear more legitimate, some calls may use fake caller ID. For more information on neocoronavirus scams and frauds, as well as links to useful and reliable information, see Neocoronavirus Scams. Learn to recognize phone/voice phishing Scammers, or “voice scammers,” often exaggerate or make up prizes, products or services. They then ask for your credit card number or other personal information to get you to pay a fee or more. Caution: Offers from companies you don't do business with and/or haven't heard of. Notification of prizes won in contests you haven't entered. Promises of unrealistic rewards such as money. Pressure to make an immediate decision to meet the caller's needs, which may include: money Information about financial accounts Personal information Organizational information, such as contact names and contact information for college friends and colleagues Threat of consequences such as fines or penalties if you don't provide money or information Calls containing unprofessional, hostile, or even obscene language Unsolicited calls to help you settle debts, unpaid taxes, or previous fraud cases Learn more about the signs of these and other scams at Federal Trade Commission (FTC): Phone Scams. Protect yourself from voice phishing If a caller claims to be from an organization you do business with, such as your bank, and they ask for personal information (account number, social security number, etc.), hang up, find the organization's phone number, and call them. If the call you receive is a scam, report it! Do not pay for prizes or rewards offered from the phone. The IRS will never ask for your debit or credit card number over the phone or request immediate payment using a specific method, such as a prepaid gift card, debit card or wire transfer. The IRS will usually contact you first by U.S. mail. Do not send money or give personal information (such as credit card numbers and expiration dates, bank account numbers, birth dates, or social security numbers) in response to unsolicited calls from unfamiliar companies or strangers. Do not trust caller ID. Phone numbers and caller ID can be spoofed. The University of Michigan, government offices, and other businesses and organizations have received reports of spoofed phone numbers. Add your phone number to the National Do Not Call Registry to reduce unwanted sales calls. Follow the FTC's guidance below: How to Handle Unexpected Sales Calls How to handle prerecorded calls See these safety calculations pages on specific scams: Tax Scam Emails and Calls Technical support scams