Scam buyers and how to block them (2024)

FAQs

Is blocking a scammer enough? ›

Blocking scammers is considered one of the most useful way to prevent people from losing private information and money to cyber thieves. It can actually help you avoid further contact or harassment in the short term, but it might not always be enough to completely shield you from dangers.

Register your number on the Do Not Call Registry for free by calling 1-888-382-1222 (voice) or 1-866-290-4236 (TTY). You can also do it online. Here's how to stop spam callers by getting on the Do Not Call Registry: Go to the FTC's National Do Not Call Registry website and click the Register link.

Protect your personal information

When dealing with strangers online, it's crucial that you keep your personal information personal. Never share your account information or exact location with a potential buyer. If a potential buyer is asking for unnecessary personal information, they're likely up to no good.

Do senders know you've blocked them? No, the sender won't receive any notification that you've blocked them. But they may guess they're on your block list and try changing their email address to reach you.

Report scam calls and texts

Report phone and text scams to ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

STOP CONTACT WITH THE SCAMMER.

Hang up the phone. Do not reply to emails, messages, or letters that the scammer sends. Do not make any more payments to the scammer. Beware of additional scammers who may contact you claiming they can help you get your lost money back.

It's better to ignore spam calls. When you decline a call, it can alert the spammer that your phone number is active, prompting them to call you again. If you use a call-blocking tool that uses caller ID, you should never answer calls labelled as spam.

How to avoid bogus buyers? ›

Waste their time by pretending to go along with their scam.

Just make sure you don't give them any personal information! You can also mess with scammers by introducing ridiculous elements into the conversation, like asking them to communicate using a secret code made entirely of cereal brands.

Block individual numbers on Android

Open the Phone app, select Recents, and tap the avatar of the caller you want to block. Tap the three-dot icon in the top right and select Block numbers.

Report a Scam to the FTC

When you report a scam, the FTC can use the information to build cases against scammers, spot trends, educate the public, and share data about what is happening in your community.

You can stop spam by simply blocking the senders. This will prevent those spammers' blocked emails from even reaching your inbox in the first place.

When you block someone, you are effectively cutting off all contact. This means that you will not be able to receive any more threats from the person. However, if the sextortionist is malicious, they may be inclined to escalate their threats, making life more miserable for you.

Today we're going to talk about if it's better to block or ignore your ex. Ultimately, the decision should be based on your overall goals post breakup. As a general rule of thumb, ignoring your ex and then getting back in contact later is used for getting an ex back.