Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by GianFabien 602 days ago
I treat all unsolicited calls asking for personal information as scams.

Scammers can spoof calling numbers to make it look like it came from your bank. Basically everything they say on the call should be treated as being fraudulent. The scripts have been tailored to use a variety psychological tricks to fool you.
1 comments
Terr_ 602 days ago
Yeah: Any legitimate institutions will have no problem giving you information (like an extension-code) that you can use to re-contact them back via official channels. (This does depend on not being tricked by going to a fake website with fake contact-info, of course.)

Anyone who threatens you with fines/arrest/whatever for ending the call early is a scammer.

link
trod123 602 days ago
This isn't necessarily true.

For example Equifax's TheWorkNumber won't do this (companies that don't do background references/verification of employment use this service), and their representatives and processes seem to follow similar practices employed by scammers.

link