Tech News That Matters To You Daily
Privacy, security, the latest trends and the info you need to live your best digital life.
If you use a landline service, you may have access to Anonymous Call Rejection. To activate it, dial *77 and you will hear three beeps. Hang up and any call that hides its number will be rejected.
This service varies by carrier and some charge extra. But its a helpful tool to stop scammers or legitimate robocallers who slip through the Do Not Call Registry. Tap or click here to see even more useful star codes for your landline.
NOTE: *77 works only for landline phones. Dialing *77 on your mobile phone might connect you with emergency services, depending on your location.
Monetary Or Sensitive Information Requests
If the caller suggests that you need to provide personal information such as a credit card number, social security number, bank account number, drivers license number, etc. in order to proceed, its probably a scam. Its never a good idea to give money or personal information to a stranger over the phone.
Give Spam Calls The Brush
Its so tempting to pick up the phone and yell in frustration, Dont call me again! But heres a more effective way to stop spam calls: Dont answer at all. According to experts, the robocallers will view the number as inactive and be less likely to try again. By the way, you should never call back an unknown numberit makes you vulnerable to future scams.
Also Check: Equus Car Cost
Why Wont These Car Warranty Calls Stop
Vehicle warranty scam calls are oddly common why is that and what can you do about it?
Weve been trying to reach you about your cars extended warranty
Chances are youve heard these oh-so-annoying words. Thats because there were almost 13 billion of these auto warranty scam calls last year or nearly 40 calls per US citizen. Yikes.
Phone call and voice mail scams arent just an irksome disturbance, theyre expensive. Last year, they cost Americans approximately $30 billion. Double yikes.
If youre here, youve either had enough of these robofools or you want to extend your warranty but youre unsure if youre getting scammed. .
Whatever the reason, weve outlined everything you need to know, including what warranties actually are, how to decide if you need a warranty, and what you can do about those pesky, unwanted calls.
2022 Auto Refinance Rates
How To Report Auto Warranty Robocalls
You should always make an effort to report robocalls regardless of the pitch that they are selling. Car warranty scams are frequent, and they seem to be working, so reporting them is crucial if we want to stop robocalls for good.
The FTC and the Federal Communications Commission teamed up with telephone service providers, third-party call blocking apps, and various other organizations to fight back against robocalls on the national level. The FCC proposed $225 billion in fines against one billion spoofed robocalls made in the first five months of 2020.
Even though the FTC and the FCC may not be able to help you with specific calls, filing a complaint helps identify and prosecute as many spam callers as possible. You can report robocalls to any of the following to join the fight:
Read Also: Fl Lost Title
Are Extended Warranties The Same As Vehicle Service Contracts
The terms service contract and extended warranty are often used interchangeably, but thats misleading. For starters, service contracts do not fall under the legal definition of a warranty. Second, there are key differences in how theyre structured.
Coverage from extended warranties may not start until your manufacturer warranty expires, whereas a VSC can be used in conjunction with your factory warranty to account for any missing gaps in your warranty coverage.
Moreover, VSCs can be adjusted according to your needs. You could get a plan for minor issues like your AC or radio or broader coverage for things like your alternator or water pump. Conversely, extended warranties typically dont offer this flexibility.
How To Find A Legit Vehicle Service Contract
At this point, you might be interested in a VSC but how can you be absolutely sure you arent getting ripped off by a scammer? The easiest way is to avoid the auto warranty robocalls and go directly to the source. Theres no need to take the risk of transacting over the phone when you can visit a legit providers website.
You can check with your preferred local dealer to see if they offer this product or vet online providers by investigating their standing with the Better Business Bureau.
Ready to refinance your car loan?
You May Like: Car Rental Deals For Aarp Members
Are Car Warranty Calls Scams
Many of the calls about your cars warranty are scams. Since 2017, car warranty robocalls have returned and in greater numbers than ever before. Theyve outpaced calls asking for your social security number and those offering tech support, the two next most common scam calls.
If youre ever unsure whether calls you receive about your cars warranty are a scam, hang up the phone. Then look up the phone number for your dealership or service company and call them directly. Doing so ensures that youre speaking with the appropriate company and not scammers phishing for your information.
Robocalls about car warranties were popularized by the now-bankrupt company, US Fidelis. In a period of 10 months stretching from 2008-2009, the company made over a billion such calls. As a result, the company was prohibited from making robocalls altogether. And in 2012, the brothers responsible for the calls were locked up for a variety of crimes ranging from fraud to tax evasion.
Can Donotpay Do Something About Car Warranty Robocalls
In case you think you deserve to get more than just stopping spam callers from reaching your number, you can partner up with DoNotPay and take some of the robocaller’s not-so-hard-earned money. To be precise, you could get up to $3,000.
DoNotPay created RoboRevenge to help you get some payback for all the harassment. If you have been a victim of a phone scam, the DoNotPay robocall revenge will be even sweeter. Here’s how things work:
The process is simple because DoNotPay does almost all the work, and the trick is in the DoNotPay virtual credit card. Although it will appear to the caller as a real card, it’s a virtual card number that has no funding source behind it. It only serves to obtain information about the caller’s identity and account.
Once the caller tries to make a transaction, they are in direct violation of the law, and you are entitled to compensation. Everything is entirely legal and pretty efficient. You should be aware that Robo Revenge only works for robocalls made within the States.
Recommended Reading: Who Accepts Carcareone Credit Card
How Do You Stop Robocalls
An F.C.C. rule that went into effect last month is meant to help put a stop to those relentless calls about your extended warranty, and others.
-
Send any friend a story
As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Anyone can read what you share.
Give this article
The calls look vaguely familiar, as if they could be coming from a neighbors phone. Sometimes theyre ominous warnings about your Social Security number. A friendly voice pretends to be concerned about the warranty on a car you dont have.
Americans get millions of illegal robocalls every month, despite attempts by the telecommunications industry and government agencies to stop them.
The latest effort by the Federal Communications Commission the government agency that regulates communications to cut down on the calls uses a technology called Stir/Shaken, which went into effect on June 30. While it has nothing to do with James Bond and martinis, it is meant to add to the arsenal of defenses against bad guys who trick people.
Heres how it works.
Watch Out For Auto Warranty Scams
Consumer Complaint Data Spotlight
Auto-warranty robocalls were the top unwanted call complaint filed by consumers with the FCC last year, and the trend continued in January 2021. Check out our Data Spotlight on consumer scam complaints.
Auto Warranty Scam Audio Sample
Listen to a real-life example of an auto warranty-scam voicemail callback scam.
Audio transcript: Hi there, this is Shasta calling in regards to your Volkswagen warranty. The warranty is up for renewal. Id like to congratulate you on your $1,000 instant rebate and free maintenance and oil change package for being a loyal customer. Call me back at 888-206-XXXX to redeem now. Once again that number was 888-206-XXXX. Thank you so much. Have a great day.
If you own a vehicle and a phone, you may receive calls from scammers posing as representatives of a car dealer, manufacturer or insurer telling you that your auto warranty or insurance is about to expire. The call will include some sort of pitch for renewing your warranty or policy.
During the call which often begins automated or pre-recorded you may be instructed to press a certain number or stay on the line, then asked to provide personal information, which potentially can be used to defraud you.
Steps you can take to protect yourself
Filing a complaint
You can file a complaint with the FCC about suspected scam calls. In addition to being fraudulent in nature, these calls likely violate telemarketing and robocall rules.
Also Check: How To Test A Car Amp In The House
Who Are These Scammers
Both the FTC and the Federal Communications Commission have been playing whack-a-mole with the operators who run car warranty scams for years. . They originate from within the U.S. as well as overseas: FTC enforcement actions from 2012 reveal a globe-spanning web of crooks that has profited off unsuspecting car owners. Investigators tied the California-based operation to a bank account in Hong Kong, real estate holdings in mainland China, plus land, cars and other assets the FTC seized as part of the settlement.
These crooks are adept at using technology to cover their tracks, with manipulation tools like caller ID spoofing to fake who they are and where theyre calling from. Which is why you might get a call from a scammer that shows up on your phone as the manufacturer of your vehicle, or something like auto warranty department.
Scammers reliance on spoofing tools is usually carried out with the help of voice over internet protocol technology, which does give regulators another avenue to crack down on scammers when they use VoIP providers based in the U.S.
Will Maxson, an attorney with the FTCs bureau of consumer protection, says the agency has specifically targeted VoIP providers that facilitate robocall spam operations. Shutting down these bad operators can prevent the calls from going out to peoples phones in the first place, according to Maxson.
We want to enforce the law against everyone in the ecosystem of illegal telemarketing, he says.
Stop Car Warranty Scams: How To Stop Robocalls
Car extended warranty robocalls are not the only ones plaguing our mobile devices and landlines, but they are dangerous because they sound plausible, and many people fall for them. What you should be aware of is that robocalls are getting quite good at being convincing, so we all need to take extra care of how we handle them.
Read Also: How To Fix A Burn Hole In My Car Seat
Use The Best Apps To Block Robocalls
Another way to stop nuisance calls on your smartphone is via call-blocking apps. These apps can identify who is calling you and block unwanted calls that show up on crowd-sourced spam and robocall lists.
Here are the top call blocking apps weve tried. We recommend trying different free trials to see which one works best for you before you spring for a long-term subscription.
Nomorobo
Nomorobo is an iOS and Android app that offers real-time protection from a growing list of robocallers, telemarketers and phone scammers.
Heres how it works: Nomorobo lets the phone ring once, then tries to identify the caller. If the number is on the apps robocaller list, the app will automatically block the call for you.
Nomorobo is free to use for 14 days, and then it costs $1.99 per month or $19.99 for a year. To sign up, you will need to provide Nomorobo with information. List the type of phone you have wireless or landline and select your carrier.
Truecaller
The Truecaller app for iOS and Android lets you find out whos behind that unknown number. Copy and paste the number into the apps search bar. Truecaller will search the unknown number to find out who it is. With a community-based spam list from over 250 million users, its a great resource to avoid answering an unwanted robocall.
The Truecaller app is free to use, and you can upgrade to a premium, ad-free version with extra features for $2.99 per month.
Hiya Caller ID & Block
DoNotPay/Robo Revenge
Protecting Your Landline From Auto Warranty Robocalls
Landlines are particularly appealing to phone fraudsters because the protection of them is not top-notch. Although the options are limited, you should try some of the following and see if they will work for you:
- Installing a call-blocking device
- Activating one of the scarce home phone protection services
In case you are using a digital home phone with VoIP technology, you are in a somewhat better position because carriers do offer better tools for protection on them. There are even third-party apps that you can try like the one that Nomorobo offers in partnership with CenturyLink.
|
Type of Phone |
|
Also Check: What Kind Of Car Does Columbo Drive
Your Daily Dose Of Tech Smarts
Learn the tech tips and tricks only the pros know.
Your best move when you realize its a robocall, hang up the phone immediately. There is one thing in particular that you should never do: press any numbers on your phone during the call.
Many of these calls are automated initially and ask you to press a button to continue or opt out. Dont do it! If you do it lets the caller know that your phone number is active and will result in more robocalls.
Keep reading for FCC suggestions to avoiding these types of calls.
Kim Komando: Car Warranty Robocalls Heres Why You Get So Many
- Kim Komando
A voicemail display on a smartphone shows a robocall message about a vehicle warranty.
The other day I called a friend. After a few rings, her old-school answering machine answered. Hello, I said. Im calling today with important news about your cars extended warranty.
She picked up immediately and yelled, Stop calling me! I had a good laugh, and its no wonder that set her off. Auto warranty scam calls have to be the most irritating and intrusive in the history of telemarketing.
You dont have to put up with robocalls. Here are proven methods to make robocalls stop for good.
Scam texts are a real pain, too.
While your cars warranty might have expired, these calls are deceptive and illegal. I have a few tips to help stop the flood.
Recommended Reading: How To Fix Clear Coat On Car
Why Am I Getting These Calls
The Federal Communications Commission, FCC, does not consider extended car warranty sales pitch calls legitimate business solicitations, but rather, terms them scams. Like Rachel from Cardholder Services, that Nigerian prince who just needs your bank account number to temporarily stash a few million, and the local chimney sweep who just happens to be doing your neighbors chimney tomorrow, these calls are not usually targeted. They just call every possible phone number one by one until they find a gullible mark.
Some extended car warranty companies do some research on their marks. They may have some bits of information that seem about right. Thats because they purchased some of your personal information from a data mining company, or maybe even your own car dealer, the Quick-Lube place where you get your oil changed, or your states DMV. Who knows? Regardless, it is a sales pitch they employ all day every day, and you were not singled out.
Some Phones Block Robocalls Automatically
Did you know that some smartphones already have built-in spam and robocall protection in place? Samsungs flagship Galaxy and Note smartphones have a native feature called Smart Call that automatically screens and flags suspicious numbers.
Googles Android smartphones like the Pixels and the old Nexus and Android One have built-in spam call protection. With this feature, users with Caller ID enabled will get a warning if a suspected spam call or robocall is received.
Aside from ignoring the call, the user has the option to either block the number or whitelist it if the spam flagging is deemed an error. Any blocked number can be unblocked at any time. An option to report the call to Google is available.
With an iPhone running iOS 13, you can turn on Silence Unknown Callers to avoid getting calls from people you dont know. To turn on Silence Unknown Callers, go to Settings > Phone, scroll down, then select Silence Unknown Callers.
If you have iOS 14, the feature is auto-enabled. Want to double-check its up and running? Head to Settings, click on Phone and then tap on .
Unknown calls are sent to voicemail and appear in your recent calls list. If the call comes from a number you have texted with or one that someone has shared via email, the call with go through as normal.
Don’t Miss: What Rental Car Companies Take Debit Cards
