‘Robocall’ sources range from candidates to criminals

Today’s question: Before the last elections, we got a lot of “robo-calls,” mostly from the machines of candidates seeking our votes. Since the elections, we get a lot of strange calls from distant area codes and phone numbers we don’t recognize. And they disconnect before our answering machine has a chance to earn its wages. Occasionally, one of us will pick up the phone and there is no one there.

Do you have any idea why we are getting these strange calls? Should we be worried?

I am betting this one comes from some older folks because that demographic tends to be the largest target of phone scammers.

It is possible that you might get a call from somebody who misdialed and hung up as soon as they realized their mistake.

It is more likely you are at threat of being scammed. This is how it works: Crooks use robocalling computers to ring us up. If their computer detects a live human voice it tells the crooks it is a working number.

From there, through various twists and turns, the crooks try to get your bank account details. If they do and there is enough in your account to make it worth their time, the crooks call your bank and ask for a change of address and there goes your money.

This is big business. The Federal Trade Commission gets 170,000 complaints a month about robocalls.

Don’t answer your phone if you don’t recognize the number on your caller ID. Don’t give out any personal data over the phone to anyone and never ever return phone messages to anyone you don’t know.