Be wary of callers claiming to be from Verizon telling you to reset your phone for 5G coverage

Just because someone claims to be from Verizon when you answer the phone doesn't make it true. And based on this report published today, the call could end up hitting you in the wallet or purse. For example, consider what happened to a Delaware resident who received a call from someone claiming to work for Verizon. Surely not by coincidence, the call was made to a smartphone belonging to a Verizon customer.

The fake Verizon employee told the recipient of the call that Verizon was switching from 4G to 5G and to expect service disruptions over the next few days. He then told the Verizon customer that to keep service going during the switch-over, she would need to reset her password. So Verizon sent her a password reset notification and she provided the confirmation number to the fake Verizon employee on the phone. The caller then told the Verizon customer to turn off her phone to complete the password reset. A few seconds later, she received an email from Verizon telling her about the new Apple iPad purchased on her Verizon account, which of course she never ordered.

Police suggest that you should always be wary of callers saying that they are from the carrier that you use. No real employee of any wireless provider is going to ask for the confirmation code that verifies your identity. Giving that code out might have been the greatest mistake made by the victim. Also, if you receive a call, an email or a text that claims to be from your wireless company with a special promotional offer, double check the validity of the notice by calling your carrier.

 

If you are the victim of a Verizon related scam, or you get a call from someone claiming to work for the company and something doesn't seem right, you can inform Verizon by clicking on this link.