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WHEN SHOULD I BE CONCERNED ABOUT ROBOCALLS:

Robocalls are malicious when they are used as a means of committing fraudulent activity. An example is the popular IRS robocall scam that has plagued just about every phone that can ring in the U.S. In this example, the “IRS” targets seemingly random phone numbers and when the phone call is answered, a message plays claiming to be the IRS asking the victim for money that is owed to them in order to prevent legal action from taking place. Many people fall victim to this type of scam and pay large sums of money before realizing that they had been fooled.

HOW DO I SPOT ROBOCALLS?

Robocalls can be recognized by the prerecorded nature of the calls. Sometimes, the person on the other end of the phone will sound robotic, but they are also capable of sounding like a real person. Often you will notice a small gap in time from when you answer to when they start their reply. If anyone calls asking you for money, it’s a good idea to be very leery.

There are some apps available for installation on smartphones that will notify a user if it suspects a scam call is coming through. These apps allow the user to be proactive and block robocall number. You can find a number of these apps in your mobile app store. While these apps help to block a good amount of scam artists, there are others who can gain your trust through spoofing their robocall.

ROBOCALLS AND SPOOFING:

Like email spoofing, phone numbers can be spoofed as well to appear more legitimate. Spoofed robocalls use local telephone numbers, often within the same area code as the receiver, to gain the trust of unsuspecting targets and fool scam apps. Sometimes, these calls will even match the first several digits of the receiving number to appear more legitimate. So, what can you do about these calls? Spoofing is a crime, and unwanted calls can be reported to the FCC’s (Federal Communications Commission) Consumer Complaints section on their website. The FCC takes spoofed calls so seriously that they proposed a record $225 million fine against a Texas based telemarketing company for spoofing over 1 billion of their robocalls. Thanks to those who reported the activity, the FCC was able to investigate and take action. The best way to overcome scam artists is to be aware of the tactics that they commonly use. Learning to recognize a scam ahead of time will save both you and your organization from a lot of pain, suffering, lost information and lost income. Remember, you are the first line of defense in a cyber-attack, so your organization is relying on you to be vigilant and informed.

Employees are the first line of cybersecurity defense within the County, and we thank you for your continued vigilance. If you have any questions, please contact:

Enterprise Privacy & Cybersecurity team - securityadmin@ocit.ocgov.com Enterprise Privacy & Cybersecurity Portal - https://ocgov.sharepoint.com/Collab/SvcAreas/cyber Report Phishing E-mail - phishing@ocit.ocgov.com or Phishing Alert Button on your Outlook toolbar

Report Spam E-mail - spam@ocit.ocgov.com Central IT Service Desk at 844-834-2449