Scam-Proofing the People You Love: Part 2
"This Is Your Bank Calling": Caller ID Lies, Impersonation Scams, and What to Say
By Larry Betz | Prepared Not Paranoid https://www.preparednotparanoid.com/
Imagine this. Your mother's phone rings. The caller ID shows her bank's name and its real phone number. A polite, professional voice says there's suspicious activity on her account: a $2,400 charge in another state. The caller knows her name, her address, and the last four digits of her card.
"To protect your money," he says, "we need to move it to a secure account while we investigate. I'll stay on the line with you."
Everything about that call looks real. None of it is.
In Part 1, we covered the pattern behind almost every scam. Now let's look at the one that fools the most careful people: the impersonation scam.
Caller ID Is Not Proof
Criminals can make any name and number appear on a phone's screen. This is called spoofing, and the Federal Communications Commission warns about it. Caller ID shows what was sent to the phone. It doesn't prove who's calling.
The same goes for the details they know. Your name, address, bank, and even recent purchases can come from data breaches, social media, or public records. Knowing your information isn't proof of who they are.
Don't Try to Verify the Caller While You're on the Call
This is where good people get caught. They think, "I'll ask a few questions and see if he's legit."
A prepared criminal will have answers. And a real bank employee often can't discuss account details until you've been verified. So quizzing the caller doesn't work in either direction.
There's only one safe test: hang up and call the bank yourself.
What to Say
"I don't discuss my accounts on calls I didn't make. I'll contact the bank directly."
Then hang up. A real bank employee will understand. If the caller pushes you to stay on the line, that's your answer.
How to Contact the Bank Safely
Call the number on the back of your card
Use the phone number inside the bank's official app
Type the bank's web address yourself and use the contact page
Visit a branch if you're still unsure
Don't:
Call a number the caller, text, email, or voicemail gave you
Hit redial on the number in your recent calls
Use a phone number from a search ad
When you reach the real bank, ask:
"Did you try to contact me? Are there any alerts, pending transfers, new payees, or changes to my account?"
Never Do These on a Call You Didn't Make
Write this list down and keep it by the phone:
Give a password, PIN, full Social Security number, or full card number
Read back a one-time code that was texted or emailed to you
Let anyone have remote access to your phone, tablet, or computer
Move money to a "safe," "secure," or "protected" account
Pay with a gift card, wire transfer, cryptocurrency, cash, gold, or payment app
Install an app someone tells you to download
Approve a transfer, new payee, or password change you didn't start
No real bank, government agency, or police department will ever ask you to do any of these.
The Impersonation Scams to Know
Government and Law Enforcement
The caller claims to be from Social Security, Medicare, the IRS, a court, or the police. Your benefits will stop. There's a warrant. You owe back taxes.
Why it works: Most of us were raised to respect authority. Scammers use that instinct to rush you past your questions.
The truth: Real agencies don't demand gift cards, cryptocurrency, cash, or secrecy, and they don't threaten immediate arrest over the phone.
Medicare and Medical Equipment
Callers offer a "new Medicare card," free braces, genetic testing, or help with enrollment, in exchange for your Medicare number.
Protect your Medicare number like a credit card number. Review your Medicare Summary Notices for services you never received, and call 1-800-MEDICARE if something looks wrong.
Tech Support and Computer Takeover
A pop-up or call says your computer is infected or your account was hacked. They ask to "connect" to your computer to fix it, or they show you fake bank activity.
What to do: Don't call a number in a pop-up. Close the browser or restart the computer. If you already gave someone remote access, disconnect from the internet, call a trusted technician, change your passwords from a different device, and call your bank.
Package, Toll, and QR Code Scams
A text says your package can't be delivered, you owe an unpaid toll, or your account needs to be "verified." The link steals your passwords or card number.
A newer trick: criminals put a fake QR code sticker right over a real one on a parking meter, restaurant table, or delivery notice. A QR code doesn't show you the web address before you scan it, so there's nothing to check.
What to do: Don't tap the link or scan the code. Open the company's official app or type its website yourself. Forward scam texts to 7726 (SPAM).
Ask Yourself
Does everyone in my family know caller ID can be faked?
Where's the bank's real phone number? (Check: it's on the back of the card.)
Would my parents feel comfortable hanging up on someone who sounds official?
Remember: Hanging up isn't rude. It's the one move a scammer can't beat.
Get Started Today
My free guide, Protecting Older Adults from Scams & Financial Exploitation, includes the "Never Do These" list and the exact words to say, ready to print and keep by the phone.
[CTA: Comment or DM "[KEYWORD]" / or download it here: LINK]
Go Deeper
Cyber Safety: A Beginner's Guide to Protecting Your Digital Footprint covers passwords, two-factor login, phishing, and what to do if your accounts are compromised. [Get Cyber Safety here: LINK]
The Family Safety Toolkit includes Senior Safety checklists you can work through together. [Get the Toolkit here: LINK]
Tools I recommend: Visit my Senior Safety store on Amazon for the products I recommend to help older adults stay safe, secure, and independent at home. [AMAZON STORE LINK]
Related reading:
Red Cell Your Family, Part 4: Red Cell Your Digital Life [LINK]
Coming Up in Part 3
Scams That Pull at the Heart. The grandparent scam, AI voice cloning, romance scams, and the "investment opportunity" that starts with a wrong-number text.
References
Federal Communications Commission, Caller ID Spoofing: https://www.fcc.gov/spoofing
American Bankers Association, #BanksNeverAskThat: https://www.banksneveraskthat.com
Medicare, Reporting Fraud and Abuse: https://www.medicare.gov/basics/reporting-medicare-fraud-and-abuse
Federal Trade Commission, How to Recognize and Avoid Phishing Scams: https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-recognize-and-avoid-phishing-scams
Federal Trade Commission, Tech Support Scams: https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-spot-avoid-and-report-tech-support-scams
Disclaimer
This article is for general informational and educational purposes only. It is not legal or financial advice. If you shared information or sent money, contact your bank's fraud department immediately using a verified number, and report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
If you are in immediate danger, call 911.
The prepared protector is someone who's decided that loving someone means being ready for them, not just hoping things go fine.
Prepared Not Paranoid. Protecting the Most Vulnerable Among Us.
