Did you know that your call could be recorded without you knowing?
This is something we see on a regular basis providing small business IT support. You can pay a company for a call recording service, however, some cybercriminals set up call recording without you knowing and charge you high rates for making calls and have the ability to listen in to confidential phone calls. These calls are usually numbers that begin with 083 or 084 and are commonly found on the top of search engine results pages as the cybercriminals purchase enhanced listings. This means the numbers are more likely to be dialled as they are the first on the results page which most people would pick for convenience.
Risks of Call Recording
- Identity fraud and general fraud could be committed due to the calls being recorded and the cybercriminals being able to access these calls
- Confidential information for personal or business possession could be leaked and get in the wrong hands
- If you requested a call recording service, as there is a high chance this is an unregulated service run by cybercriminals, you may not ever receive the recording. If you do it could be up to a month before receiving it, meaning if you are attempting to settle an issue, it could be dragged out
- You could be charged a lot higher rate if you didn’t know it was a call recording number and assumed it was the correct number for the company
Take Action
- Phone numbers at the top of the search engine results page that begin with 083 or 084
- Hang up the call if you believe it is being recorded and you are revealing confidential information
- Phone us straight away on 0800 680 00 88 and report it to Action Fraud
- Go directly to the company or organisation’s website to find the correct contact number
- Don’t pick the first number you see on the search results page
- If there is a relevant app, use the contact number provided on there
- Investigate a possible managed IT services provider for round the clock cyber security