In grade school, I remember reading a story about an emperor who got tricked by would-be tailors. As the story goes, this emperor famously loved fine clothing. One day, two men show up claiming to be the finest weavers in the land.

Hans Christian Andersen knew a scam when he saw one. Credit // Canva
Hans Christian Andersen knew a scam when he saw one. Credit // Canva
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They made a big show of measuring the emperor for fit, and then "weaving" the clothing. The only catch: only the wise amongst them will be able to see the finished product.

It took a kid to call the scam out! Credit // Canva
It took a kid to call the scam out! Credit // Canva
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After a lot of ego-flattering and pretend work, they return. The instruct the emperor to disrobe, and the men "dress" him in - well, nothing. The emperor doesn't want to appear silly, so he assumes everything is above board - until a kid calls out the scam in front of everyone's eyes.

The Potential Scam in Our Pocket

Hans Christian Andersen highlighted the art of the scam long ago. Trying to get one over on someone else for personal gain didn't begin with The Emperor's New Clothes. And if you've had a cellular device longer than a minute, it didn't end there, either.

Scammers always try to stay one step ahead of us. Credit // Canva
Scammers always try to stay one step ahead of us. Credit // Canva
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These days, we have the ability to stay connected in ways even Andersen never imagined. Whether you're running a business or just trying to stay in touch with your kids' new coach to coordinate soccer practice, the device in our pocket has become more important than ever.

And we're not the only ones who see it that way. Scammers around the world are constantly using new tactics to try to get us to hand them our hard-earned money.

Don't Answer These Area Codes!

Changing a telephone number is easy, so it’s becoming more of a challenge to catch every scam phone number in existence. The financial website, gobankingrates.com has some tips.

Here are some tips to stay ahead of the crooks. Credit // Canva
Here are some tips to stay ahead of the crooks. Credit // Canva
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If you get called by someone you don't know, let the call go to voicemail. Then get ahead of the possible scam with a little research.

First, take a look at the area code. If it's on the list below, it's entirely possible you've got a scammer in your pocket.

Second, search the phone number in a search engine like Google or Bing. There are a lot of scam-tracking websites. Many of the numbers are reported by other people who've already been contacted by someone who answered the call. Benefit from their hard-won wisdom don't call back.

Don't Answer Calls from These Area Codes!

Here are 9 Area Codes Scammers Use

232 - Sierra Leone, West Africa

Sierra Leone // Microsoft Maps
Microsoft Maps
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268  Antigua and Barbuda, Caribbean

Antigua & Barbuda // Microsoft Maps
Microsoft Maps
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284 the British Virgin Islands, Caribbean

Microsoft Maps
Microsoft Maps
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473 Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique

Microsoft Maps
Microsoft Maps
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649 the Turks and Caicos Islands

Microsoft Maps
Microsoft Maps
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664 Montserrat, Caribbean

Microsoft Maps
Microsoft Maps
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767 the Commonwealth of Dominica

Microsoft Maps
Microsoft Maps
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809, 829, 849 the Dominican Republic

Microsoft Maps
Microsoft Maps
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876 Jamaica

Microsoft Maps
Microsoft Maps
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It's a little harder if you know someone who lives in one of these cities, but here are some of the commonly scammed area codes in the United States.

  • 216 - Cleveland, Ohio
  • 332 - New York City
  • 347 - New York City
  • 469 - Dallas, Texas
  • 646 - Manhattan
  • 657 - La Palma, California
  • 712 - Western Iowa
  • 218 - Northern Minnesota

Whatever you do, always stay alert and never give your credit card over the phone to someone you don't.

 

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