Hang up on the unexpected call. You don't need a polished script.

An unexpected caller who wants money, private details, a code, or device access is trying to lock you into a payment, a disclosure, or remote access before you think. Why would you stay on the line?

A local area code proves nothing by itself. A familiar company name and a confident voice don't help. Caller ID can be changed.

Scammers may pretend to be a government office or a company you know. They may also pose as someone close to you, as the Federal Trade Commission explains. Impersonation is common in these calls.

Thing is, a caller who already knows your name or part of your account information has not passed a real identity check. Leaked names do not count as proof.

If you hear a recorded message instead of a live person, that is a robocall. The FTC says not to press any button. Pressing a key can lead to more unwanted calls.

Use one short exit line, if you use any

Silence is fine. You don't owe an unknown caller a conversation.

If you need words for a live caller, keep them short:

"I don't handle account matters on incoming calls. I will contact the organization using a number I find myself."

Say it once, then disconnect.

Don't answer the next question they throw at you. Skip any urge to correct a wrong address or a mangled name, and do not dial the callback number they dictate. Do not stay on the line.

You can reach a real organization through its app or a number printed on your card or statement. A contact page you locate yourself works too. Use a number you already trust.

Spot the tactic behind the story

The FTC describes phone scammers who impersonate government offices, businesses, family members, and romantic partners. The call can sound polished, even friendly, and that is what makes it awkward because your brain wants to finish the conversation, wants to stay polite, before you've even decided the caller deserves a minute of trust.

Match the story to the pressure.

Urgency is not evidence. A real issue might exist. Take the verification away from the incoming call anyway.

Verify the claim on a channel you choose

You pick the contact route. The person who just called does not get to pick it for you.

Turns out, calling a number you already have is usually faster than debating a stranger who may never have represented the company at all. Run through this sequence each time.

1. Hang up. Do not press a keypad option during a recorded call.
2. Open the company's official app, account portal, or a saved bookmark.
3. Use a number printed on a card, bill, or official website you navigate to yourself.
4. Ask whether there is a real issue on the account and whether the organization made the call.
5. If the organization cannot confirm it, treat the call as a scam attempt and report it.

Skip any number left in a voicemail, a text, a browser pop-up, or an email. That callback may simply return you to the scammer.

Watch for high-risk requests

On a call you did not expect, some asks should end the conversation immediately.

Hang up if they want a gift card. A cryptocurrency transfer or a wire gets the same refusal. So does a prepaid card or a payment-app demand. Do not read out account numbers or passwords.

A Social Security number or a verification code is a stop. So is remote access to a computer, tablet, or phone. Refuse those requests and hang up.

Don't send money just because the caller sounds official. Don't read card details on that call either. An unexpected demand for these things needs independent verification first.

A scammer may say a gift card is needed to pay a government debt or fix an account problem. That is a major warning sign. The New York Attorney General has warned that IRS impersonators may demand wire payments or prepaid card information and may spoof the IRS name or phone number on caller ID. Treat that demand as a stop.

IRS and tech support claims need special care

Real federal agencies and law enforcement offices will not call and threaten you, according to the FTC. Hang up if a caller says you will be arrested, jailed, or penalized unless you pay immediately. That threat does not earn another minute.

Read the New York Attorney General's IRS phone scam guidance for examples of the pressure tactics used in these impersonation calls. The tactics are spelled out there.

Microsoft says it does not make unsolicited phone calls or send unsolicited messages to request personal or financial information or to fix a computer. They say they won't do that. Its tech support scam guidance warns that scammers may use fake error messages and support numbers to make a problem look real. Those fakes are meant to look urgent.

To be honest, a browser warning can fill the screen and sound alarming. Don't let the visual drama make the decision for you. Do not call the displayed number. Do not give a stranger remote access. Close the page if you can, then seek help through a support channel you choose.

Block repeat calls, but do not rely on blocking alone

Your phone's call-blocking, spam-labeling, or call-filtering settings can reduce interruptions from repeat nuisance calls, but they cannot prove that a call is safe, and the FTC notes that telemarketers can easily change the caller ID information they display, so paying to block one displayed number may not solve the wider problem.

Save a voicemail or call log if you can, and keep a screenshot of a related text even if it is only a quick record for your own memory later.

Report unwanted calls and spoofing

Report scam calls to the FTC's fraud reporting service. Note what the caller claimed and the number that appeared on your screen. Add the time of the call, any payment request, and whether they asked for account details or remote access.

You can also file an unwanted call or text complaint through the FCC complaint system. The FCC says it does not resolve individual complaints. The filings still inform policy work and potential enforcement.

If someone is using your own number as spoofed caller ID, select the FCC complaint option for a number being spoofed. Save the call details before you file. The displayed number alone may not identify the actual caller.

Act fast if you paid or shared information

Money sent to a scammer may already be gone, but fast action can still matter. The FTC's guidance for people who were scammed separates next steps by payment method.

1. If you paid with a debit card, report the transaction to your bank or credit union immediately. Explain that you were tricked into paying a scammer or that the payment was unauthorized.
2. If you paid with a gift card, contact the gift card issuer immediately. Keep the card, receipt, and any serial number details.
3. If you paid with cryptocurrency, contact the exchange or service involved right away. Ask what steps are available.
4. If you used another payment method, contact the bank, card issuer, or payment provider through its official fraud channel as soon as possible. Do not wait to collect perfect evidence first.
5. If you gave away a password or allowed remote-access software on a device, change the password through the real account site. Contact the relevant company directly for security help.

Recovery is never guaranteed, and you may already know that, but keep the receipts, the screenshots, the gift card details, the transaction records, and the call history anyway because the payment provider and your fraud report still need a paper trail that makes sense of what happened. Hold onto that paper trail anyway.

An opt-out message does not make a call trustworthy

For a suspicious robocall, hang up rather than pressing a key. That is still the FTC's practical advice, and independent verification still comes first.

A recording that says "press a number to opt out" does not prove the caller is legitimate. A company name on caller ID, a polished script, or a claim that the call is being recorded does not prove who is calling. None of those extras prove identity.

Ordinary marketing-call rules can depend on consent, the type of call, and applicable federal or state requirements. An impersonation call is still unsafe. This is consumer safety information, not a legal determination about a particular caller.

Make the next suspicious call easier

Before the next ring, open the spam and blocking settings already on your phone. While you are calm, save the official contact path for your bank or card, including the number printed on the card or statement. Save those before you need them.

Use that same sequence when a stranger calls. Hang up, open the official account or website, and dial a number you chose. Keep verification in your own hands.