Have you been receiving those car warranty scam calls too? Robocalls are something we have all become accustomed to in the last few years, but they declined in the spring of 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic led to stay-at-home orders in the US. However, robocalls are on the rise as the economy continues to reopen, according to a recent report from YouMail.
If you own a vehicle, chances are you’re getting bombarded with robocalls about your auto warranty or insurance lately. The car warranty scam has been circulating for years. Recently, there’s been an increase in the volume of these auto warranty calls. In fact, YouMail data shows that auto warranty scam calls were the most frequently made robocall in July and August of this year.
These calls generally follow a similar format, often starting out as an automated or prerecorded message telling you that your auto warranty or insurance is about to expire. Usually, these calls come from someone posing as a representative of your car dealership, manufacturer, or insurer. They might even have information about your car, such as the vehicle year, make, or model.
During the automated message, the caller explains that you can pay a fee to extend your warranty or auto insurance. Sometimes they’ll ask you to press a button to continue or stay on the line and provide personal information. In the event that the caller has information about your personal vehicle and warranty, it can be difficult for you to know whether it’s a legitimate call or another scammer on the line.
3 Steps You Can Take to Protect Yourself
Never give out your personal information to callers you don’t know. Robocallers might ask for sensitive information, including your social security number, bank details, credit card information, or driver’s license number. Unless you can verify that the caller is a legitimate business that you have an established relationship with, avoid sharing any verification details.
Talk to your family and loved ones who may be vulnerable to scams and inform them. Financial scammers often target seniors and older Americans more than other age groups, but simply knowing the most common types of robocall scams can help your loved ones identify and avoid them in the future.
If someone is calling about your vehicle extended warranty, hang up and call your car dealership. When you stay on the line or press a button during a fraudulent call, it can potentially lead to more robocalls. That’s because the caller knows they’ve reached an active phone line. In this case, they may add your name to an active list of consumers and resell it to other fraudulent robocallers.
According to rules set by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), it’s illegal for telemarketing companies to call you with pre-recorded calls. As a result, the FTC launched a website to handle complaints against illegal robocalls and telemarketing.
If you continue to receive these types of unwanted calls, you can file a complaint with the FTC at the National Do Not Call Registry. While we hope these types of calls will no longer be an occurrence in the future, you can take these steps in the meantime to guard your personal information and finances. If you find yourself in need of trusted legal advice, contact Martinson & Beason today.