DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) – You hear that sound of your ringing phone. You look down at your screen. And, if you’re lucky, you see the words “SCAM RISK” and know better than to answer.
But, if you live in Texas, you’re more likely to get these calls than any other state. And, to make matters worse, if you live in the 214- or 817- area codes, you live in one of the most targeted metro areas in the country according to a 2021 T-Mobile report on scam calls.
“We do know scammers target areas where they can be the most successful,” Steve Carlson said. The T-Mobile spokesperson says their report found attempted scam calls steadily rose to a record high in 2021. Nationwide, consumers received 425 million calls every week. The report finds this is a more than 116% from 2020.
“Texas, through FTC data, is 32nd of 50 states for residents who are in the do not call registry.…that’s a relatively low percentage,” Carlson said. “That’s going to be a wider pool of numbers that scammers can be targeting.”
The report finds more than half of the scammers – 51% – tried to sell a fake vehicle warranty. The others claimed to be with the social security office, wireless providers, car insurance companies and package delivery services.
“They don’t like working weekends any more than the rest of us,” says Carlson talking about the thieves.
T-Mobile finds consumers should be on high alert Monday through Friday when scammers make up to 80 million calls per day. It states the volume peaks on…
