Beware of This Deviously Good Verizon Scam (2024)

FAQs

How does a Verizon scam work? ›

Text message (SMS) or email phishing scams often attempt to lure customers to a fraudulent website to input personal information and/or download virus infected programs. Verizon will never ask for personal or account information by email or text message.

3. You could lose money. When scammers get you on the phone, they try their hardest to obtain your bank account passcodes, passwords, account numbers, or even answers to your security questions (like your mother's maiden name). If you accidentally reveal that information, hackers can drain your account.

The Verizon Wireless “Refund” Scam is Back. Scammers are once again spoofing Verizon Wireless' 1-800-922-0204 customer service number shown on a customer's Caller ID in calls offering “refunds” ranging from $30-60 in return for personal information needed to “process a refund check or service credit.”

If you accidentally answer a spam call, scammers know your number is connected to a real person and can target you with more spam calls. These targeted spam calls will try to trick you into giving up your personal information which allows cybercriminals to steal your money, your identity and even your voice.

Do you suspect your Verizon account may have been hacked? Charges for Verizon products and services you didn't authorize or changes made to your account information could be fraud.

Your phone can't be hacked from your number alone, although there are some zero-click attacks that can install malware even if you don't answer a call or click a text. Usually, to hack a phone, scammers need targets to take some action, like clicking a malicious link or downloading an infected app.

Once they gain control of the phone number, they can intercept SMS messages containing one-time passwords (OTPs) used for bank account verification. This can potentially enable unauthorized access to accounts if the bank relies solely on SMS-based 2FA (two-factor authentication).

When they're talking, (as soon as you know it's a telemarketer), start saying "No" to everything they ask. Even say "No" while they're talking. For best results, keep the same tempo but change your tone and loudness between "No"s. Pretend to be interested; waste lots of their time.

When you call back a spam number, you're playing directly into the scammer's hands. You could expose sensitive data on the call or make yourself a target for further scam attempts.

Does Verizon really call to inform you about account suspensions? Beware of automated calls claiming to be from Verizon and informing you your account has been suspended. Verizon will never notify you of an account suspension this way.

How do I report a scam to Verizon? ›

Verizon takes our customers' privacy seriously. Help us end Spam and other nuisance messaging by sending suspected Spam and unwanted messages to 7726. The investigation begins as soon as the spam message is sent to 7726.

If you are a 5G/4G LTE Home Internet customer, you will receive service and support related text messages to your non-Verizon Wireless mobile number while you are a customer.

Don't answer personal questions, don't engage, and if you must respond, consider answering with a question like, “Who is calling?” If you believe that the call is not legitimate, don't be afraid to hang up: it's not impolite to hang up on a scammer.

Robocalls sometimes prompt you to take action, such as “press 1 to speak to a live representative” or “press 2 to unsubscribe” and so on. By following instructions, you confirm to the robocallers that you are a potential victim and invite further robocalls. Try to avoid taking any action.

Ignoring spam calls is a more effective approach than rejecting them.

Verizon takes our customers' privacy seriously. Help us end Spam and other nuisance messaging by sending suspected Spam and unwanted messages to 7726. The investigation begins as soon as the spam message is sent to 7726. There are no charges associated with sending or receiving texts to 7726.

Verizon automatically blocks in the network calls that we have determined are highly likely to be illegal based on reasonable analytics that incorporate caller ID authentication information.