This is why you should never call back an unknown number

We’ve all had it happen: You look at your phone and notice a missed call from a familiar-looking number that isn’t in your contacts. Your first instinct might be to call back and see who it was, but that’s the last thing you should do. You might assume calling back is safe because a number happens to be from your area code. Is it your doctor? Your kid’s principal? A neighbor? Unfortunately, the answer is probably none of those, says Adam Levin, founder of CyberScout and author of Swiped: How to Protect Yourself in a World of Scammers, Phishers, and Identity Thieves. Scammers “are adept at spoofing phone numbers for caller ID purposes,” he says. So just because a number shares your area code doesn’t mean the caller is from your town. Crooks purposely use familiar area codes to gain your trust. Don’t miss these other sneaky ways con artists win your trust. You’d probably ignore an 800 number, but a number that comes from your hometown seems more likely to be someone you know. “People are curious and they’re counting on that,” says Levin. “It’s the concept that people think may have missed an important call.” 10 PHOTOS 9 Hotel Scams and Annoying Fees to Watch Out for See Gallery 9 Hotel Scams and Annoying Fees to Watch Out for After you check in, the room phone rings, allegedly from the front desk. There’s a problem with your credit card, the operator says, please give me the account numbers again…. [Read full story]