First Orion’s Annual Phone Scam Call Report details the organization’s research into phone scamming over the past year, concluding that phone scammers were able to obtain 270% more personal information in 2020 than they did in 2019. This is likely due to the fact that phone scammers have been capitalizing on widespread public fear as a result of the covid-19 pandemic. the pandemic had a “profound” effect on Americans, making them more likely to share sensitive information. Some of these victims suffered financial loss as a result of phone scamming attempts.
In 2020, Americans were handing out personal information such as Social Security numbers and credit card information to malicious actors at six times the rate of 2019. First Orion found that the most successful attacks consisted of malicious scammers using covid-19 themes, prizes, awards, student loans, or impersonating bank officials. In a year of economic hardship for many Americans, phone scammers leveraged financial troubles to seduce victims into giving up information.
Read More: Phone scammers were able to get 270% more personal information in 2020 than in 2019
