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PSA: That phone call from "tech support" almost got me
Had a chat last week with my mom's neighbor, a retired IT guy, about those scam calls everyone gets. He told me he almost fell for one where the caller knew his exact ISP and last payment date. That hit different because I realized they're not just fishing anymore, they're using data from breaches to sound legit. He said the key is to hang up and call the company back on a number you look up yourself, not the one they give you. Has anyone else noticed these calls getting way more personal lately?
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logan_schmidt11d agoMost Upvoted
Honestly, I'm not buying that it's as big a deal as people make it. Yeah, the calls are getting a little more detailed, but most of that info is already public or easy to find. Your full name and address? That's in a phonebook. Last four digits of a card? Half the stores you shop at have that on your receipt. I feel like the panic is way overblown. People act like these scammers are hackers from a movie when really they're just pulling data from the same breach lists we all ignore. If you're still giving your PIN out over the phone, that's on you, not the scammer being "too convincing.
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My uncle Leo got a call last month from someone claiming to be his bank's fraud department, and they knew his full name, address, and the last four digits of his debit card. I used to roll my eyes at those warnings because I figured nobody would actually fall for that stuff, but hearing how detailed it was changed my mind completely. He was this close to giving them his PIN before he remembered what I told him about hanging up and calling the number on the back of his card. Now I'm actually nervous about what else they might have from all those data leaks.
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