Here’s a warning for Verizon subscribers. Actually, this warning is for everyone with a smartphone, a tablet, and even a smartwatch. Yesterday, this writer received a phone call that was allegedly from Verizon Wireless. Even though we missed the call, thanks to Google Assistant’s ability to transcribe messages, we could read the message which said, “Dear Verizon Wireless Customer your account have (sic) been suspended for verification to reactivate your account please press one to speak with a customer service representative.
The glaring red flag that should have immediately had you suspicious of the call
Note the incorrect use of the word “have” instead of “has.” That is a huge red flag since most large corporations won’t make mistakes like that. If you get a spam text, Verizon prefers that instead of immediately deleting it, you copy the message and sent it to Verizon at “Spam” or 7726. In this case, the message was transcribed from a bogus phone call, but we will send it anyway. Verizon will use the information you send to help it find the spammer and stop him from continuing to put Verizon customers’ financial wellbeing at risk.
Google Assistant transcribes a scam phone call pretending to be from Verizon
Remember to never give away any personal information no matter how dire the situation sounds. Even if you are threatened with an account suspension, keep in mind that Verizon is not going to turn off your service that quickly. If you can’t remember whether you made last month’s payment, or definitely know that you have yet to pay and the message on the phone tries to convince you that your account is suspended, do not believe it without checking it out for yourself. And do not call any phone number that is included in the message.
